


Wou Can 
Receive 
Whatsoever 
You 
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Class_E, 

Book MM 2 _ 

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COFtfKIGirr DEPOSIT. 















You Can Receive 
Whatsoever 
You Desire 


BY 

ELINOR S. MOODY 

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L. N. FOWLER & CO. 

7 Imperial Arcade, Ludgate Circus 
London, E.C., England. 


PUBLISHED BY 

THE ELIZABETH TOWNE CO., Inc. 

HOLYOKE, MASS. 















Copyright, 1923, by 
Elinor S. Moody 


Printed in U.S.A, 



JUL -5 ’23 

©C1A752039 





to 

C) — 

c 

PRESENTED AS A MEMORIAL 
TO THE 

author’s FORBEARS 

Major Francis Moody and Timothy Harmon 

AND THEIR WORTHY HELPMEETS 

E. S. M. 






FOREWORD 


W ITH the hope of making this little book a real 
“Lamp unto the feet” of the great army of 
people who are longing for Physical, Mental and 
Financial freedom, I am appending a story of my own 
experience in demonstrating Forty Thousand Dollars, 
under the rulings of the Universal Law, as set forth 
herein. This law, as illustrated by many live ex¬ 
periences, is to me by no means an untried theory; but 
rather I have, each and every time, found it so prac¬ 
tical and reliable in solving the many difficult problems 
coming to me for solution, that it is with the utmost 
confidence and gladness that I pass it on to others like¬ 
wise desirous of finding a safe and sure road to satis¬ 
faction. 

I have used the story just as it appeared in the 
newspaper, headlines and all, with the hope that it may 
be as inspirational to new readers as it evidently was 
to the vast number of people who have written me ask¬ 
ing for assistance in solving similar problems, saying 
that this story brought to them new hope and ambition, 
when they were about at the point of despair. 

Regardless of what the condition, Reader, despair 
is always unnecessary, because “With God, all things 
are possible”; and when we know that we are one with 

Him, we algo understand immediately that, with us, 

5 


6 


FOREWORD 


all things are possible. The purpose of this little book 
is to lead the reader to this realization. 

Faithfully yours, 

Elinor S. Moody 



CONTENTS 


CHAPTER PAGE 

I. Constructive Thinking. 9 

II. Getting Results. 23 

III. How to Cure Fear. 37 

IV. “Why are Ye Fearful?”. 52 

V. Faith that Moves Mountains. 67 

VI. Keeping the Law. 82 

VII. Spiritual Understanding. 96 

VIII. An Understanding Heart. 110 

IX. Health is Natural. 124 

X. Eternal Life.139 

XI. How I Demonstrated $40,000 154 

XII. The Unfailing Law of Attraction . . . 168 


I 


7 














You Can Receive 
Whatsoever You Desire 


Chapter I 


CONSTRUCTIVE THINKING 


S O frequently am I asked “What is Constructive 
Thinking?” that I shall devote the opening chap¬ 
ter of this book to a plain, simple discussion of this 
important phase of mental creation. 

Constructive means possessing the power and ability 
to construct; and construct means to form, build, 
frame, compose or put together. So that, Construc¬ 
tive Thinking is that kind of mental process that pro¬ 
duces something; that confidently builds with the ex¬ 
pectation of arriving at a right conclusion. It bases 
its arguments on Truth, and steadfastly works from 
that premise. 

What I constantly designate in my work as Con¬ 
structive or Right Thinking, seems hitherto to have 
been given a variety of names, by as many sects or 
groups of interested persons; some of which are Chris¬ 
tian Science, New Thought, Progressive Thinking, 
Practical Christianity, Divine Science, Metaphysics, 
Mental Science, and so on down to Applied Psychology. 

There is, of course, always the new angle, from 

9 


10 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


which an old truth may be mentally examined, and 
that is about all for which we can hope; since truth 
is as old as time, and it is only by knowing and liv¬ 
ing the truth, that we may be assured of arriving at 
freedom. 

I am not, therefore, attempting to launch a new 
science or scheme for the operation of the mind, since 
it would be impossible to discover anything that could 
take the place of this old but always reliable truth, 
which came to us as early as the Law handed down 
to Moses, and of which Christ said, “Think not that 
I am come to destroy the Law, or the prophets: I 
am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.” 

“For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth 
pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from 
the Law, till all be fulfilled.” 

Indeed, one of the remarkable things about Con¬ 
structive or Right Thinking, New Thought, if you 
please—appears to be its antiquity; for history tells 
us that six hundred years before the coming of Christ, 
Pythagoras, the Greek philosopher, taught his hear¬ 
ers and students that “Hate and fear breed a poison 
in the blood, which, if encouraged and allowed to con¬ 
tinue, affect the digestive organs. Hence,” he said, 
“it is unwise to hear and remember unkind things 
that others say about us.” 

He had learned that thoughts of hate and fear were 
destructive rather than Constructive, and made this 
important truth a part of his instruction. 

Two hundred years later, Socrates came along with 
his Constructive or Right Thinking doctrine, which 
he embodied in two words: “know Thyself.” 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


II 


The world was not ready for him, however, and 
because he refused to be intimidated in giving out of 
the theory in which he believed, he was put to death 
(or released unto eternal life) ; but all down the years 
that have since gone by, his works have continued to 
praise him. 

After him, came our elder brother, Jesus Christ, 
telling to the world the simplicity of truth, and ad¬ 
vising that all know and live it, as only that can 
give us freedom. 

And let us here observe, that Truth is not a matter 
of this or that creed, nor can it be strengthened or 
bettered by a series of ceremonials. 

Again, it may not be fully in accord with the an¬ 
cestral ideas of many schools of theology, which have 
been commonly accepted as correct by our forefathers 
and so handed down from generation to generation as 
such. 

The truth, as offered by Christ, is as simple and 
easy of acceptance as this: “Whatsoever things ye de¬ 
sire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and 
ye shall have them.” And desiring to give to us even 
more than that, He says, “He that believeth on me, 
the works that I do shall he do also; and greater 
works than these shall he do.” 

If w T e believe these positive promises sufficiently to 
make them the underpinning or groundwork of our 
daily activities, we are Constructive Thinkers, and 
we have learned the value of claiming and accepting 
our inheritance, under these dependable clauses of 
Father’s will. 

Shocked, as many of us will feel, when we find our- 



12 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


selves thus indicted, it is a fact that most of us do not 
believe these positive promises, and so we fail to make 
constructive use of them. That they are beautiful 
and perhaps comforting or encouraging, we more or 
less freely admit; but real and actual benefit from them, 
we hardly expect. 

When we do so expect, however, we shall receive the 
benefit in every instance, for these promises form the 
first and most reliable science on record. 

Following Christ, came that wide awake and ener¬ 
getic teacher, Paul, with his “Finally, Brethren, what¬ 
soever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, 
whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, 
whatsoever things are of good report—if there be any 
virtue—if there be any praise, think on these things” 
—meaning that we are to think on the good things, 
the things which bring to us satisfaction ; and ignore 
all appearances that seem other than desirable. 

Paul was surely a Constructive Thinker. And if we 
will follow his advice, and determine on every occasion 
to think on the good things—the things for which we 
can give thanks and praise (and we can find some¬ 
thing for which to feel gracious in nearly every oc¬ 
casion, if we will steadfastly seek it), we shall soon dis¬ 
cover that we are becoming stronger daily, both in 
body, and in our mental operations. 

Our environments—the appearances and things in 
the midst of which we live—are but the fruit of the 
harvest we have sowed in the past. Our objectified 
thoughts, as it were. Silent witnesses, eloquentlv in¬ 
dicating whether or not we are coN-structive or de- 
structive Thinkers. 





WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


13 


Have we followed Paul’s prescription, and per¬ 
sistently thought on the good things and conditions 
of living? If so, w T e are naturally creating and at¬ 
tracting into our lives, only such things as are nec¬ 
essary for our highest development. 

But how about those who are more or less indifferent 
in their mental processes? Those who fail to realize 
that thoughts are real Things, and will either make 
or mar the day’s happiness and satisfaction? 

These are our brothers and sisters who will build to¬ 
day, only to tear down and destroy tomorrow; until 
they appear to be living in the midst of many un¬ 
finished structures, some of which give pleasure and 
enjoyment, while others cause only discouragement 
and dissatisfaction. 

It is the part of wisdom to prove these rules for 
ourselves, and the proof is readily obtainable, if we 
will seek it. 

Disregarding all appearances in ourselves and our 
surroundings, let us determine to think on health, 
happiness and satisfaction; and to deny or ignore any 
and everything that seems otherwise. 

Soon we shall be persuaded that seeming ills and 
inharmonies in our lives are of small account, if we are 
honest and steadfast in holding before the mind only 
pictures of good and desirable things, for as we think, 
SO shall we become. 

The ways of Infinite Spirit are indeed wonderful 
and past finding out, and when we decide to stop 
limiting ourselves as to what we can and can not do, 
and step boldly out on Father’s promise, that “If ye 
ask anything (really believing in him and His law), 



14 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


i will do it,” we shall be assured that all things are 
possible unto us. 

When we become really aware that we are individual 
parts of the one great whole, we understand at once 
that nothing can be too good to be true, in our lives 
and affairs. 

That we cannot sow, or think, thoughts of illness, 
unhappiness and discouragement, and expect to reap 
a harvest of health, happiness and prosperity, it is 
well to keep in mind. Nature’s Law operates in much 
the same manner in the mental garden, as in the 
material. If we sow corn we shall not harvest oats; 
and precisely the same reasoning, brings us to the 
knowledge that if we sow thoughts of illness, w r e 
shall not express Health. 

The body and affairs will constantly reflect the 
creations of the mind. 

If we will steadfastly impress upon the great 
within, such things and conditions as we desire, those 
are the things and conditions that it will find a way 
to create for us, and bring into visibility in our lives. 

Right thoughts will reflect right conditions; and as 
they radiate from the mind, they attract to themselves 
only thoughts of like character; returning to us in 
due season, the hundred fold increase Father has 
promised to all who believe in Him. 

By our thoughts we have created for ourselves, 
the conditions in which we are today living. If we. 
are healthy, happy and successful, it is because our 
mental operation has been constructive and optimistic. 
We have kept the mental channel clear and clean, and 
have allowed no thoughts of fear and worry to dispel 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


15 


and drive from us, the “Exceeding, abundantly above 
all that we can ask or even think,” which is the right¬ 
ful inheritance of each one of us, if we will determine 
to so believe. 

Undoubtedly some of us will have to plead guilty to 
appearances of illness, inharmony and material lack, 
in ourselves and homes—difficulties which we have un¬ 
successfully striven to surmount. But this is not a 
matter for discouragement. Rather, these difficulties 
have come to us as teachers, illustrating for us 
certain lessons, the Great Teacher knows we need to 
understand; and which, but for the inharmonious 
appearances, we might easily overlook and ignore for 
some time to come. 

Most of the world’s inharmony comes of mistaking 
real values; and of giving too much weight and 
attention to appearances, by which we are admonished, 
not to judge. 

We take it for granted that illness is a real 
condition: We speak of having some of the medically 
christened dis-eases, as something material, from 
which one can suffer. Indeed, there are times when 
we, scions of God Almighty, almost seem to be proud 
to declare, “Yes, I have had that, too”; and we are 
not always guiltless of discoursing upon such subjects 
to quite some length. 

But illness, regardless of whatever the title bestowed 
upon it, is never a subject for proud discussion; 
in fact the less one knows of it, the prouder they 
should feel. It is wholly an unreal and unnatural 
condition, and has no power over us whatever, save as 
we so invest it. 



16 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


To accept inharmony and nlaterial lack as “neces¬ 
sary evils,” and think it imperative to deal with these 
conditions practically upon their own terms, is alto¬ 
gether a wrong idea. 

If w r e have been doing this, we have been wasting 
one of life’s most valuable commodities, by building a 
house on the sands, which will yield us nothing in the 
way of satisfaction. 

In other words, we have been creating unreal o 
imaginary conditions, to the extent that it has perhap 
become difficult, to stop believing in illness am 
poverty, as the real things of Life; and to turn abou 
and judge rightly, as we are bidden to do. 

Frequently do we hear people declare that they hat 
not been thinking anything about illness, when illnes 
came upon them; that indeed they had been feeling 
better than usual, up to the time of being stricken. 

This, however, is neither evidence for, nor against. 
Constructive Thinking. 

Thinking on illness, is not necessarily the cause o 
illness; for just as we get few so-called instantaneous 
healings, because of a lack of what might likewise be 
termed instantanteous faith; so w r e get comparatively 
few cases of illness, from a direct thought of such 
illness. 

All illness, nevertheless, has its fountain head in the 
mind . Some negative or destructive line of thought, 
is the seed. And while that seed may remain dormant 
for some time, when the right conditions are offered, 
it will take root and produce after its kind. 

Job had made this discovery when he declared, “The 
things that I have feared have come upon me.” 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


17 


To think courageously and constructively, when 
s everything is going well with us, or when everything 
-Seems to be coming our way, is not sufficient, for the 
promotion of the large living, of which we are all 
capable. 

To forcefully build today, because everything in 
< which we are interested is going to our liking, only to 
mentally destroy tomorrow, because some obstacle 
^appears to more or less overshadow our progress, will 
.get us nowhere, save to the mental scrap heap, upon 
[which so many jewelled intellects have been left to 
trust and become useless. 

We all need mental gymnasiums, even more than we 
need such places for physical exercise. 

- Mind power is our most valuable asset, and we 
xpan far better afford to squander our material things, 
than to let any of our creative thought go to waste, 
f by using it to create things and conditions we do not 
want in our lives, and which bring to us only un¬ 
happiness, suffering and dissatisfaction. 

} From negative or destructive Thinking, we not 
only reap a great variety of physical, mental and 
material inharmony or discord; but we allow it to rob 
us of very much of the joy and freedom, which is our 
inheritance from our Father, and which no one, save 
ourselves, can prevent our enjoying. 

We are masters of each circumstance in our lives 
today. 

That the Great First cause, of all that really is 
has placed U 9 here, to live under ‘‘circumstances, over 
which we have no control,” as is so often quoted, is as 
wrong an idea as it is possible to believe. 



18 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


With life He gave to each one of us, “dominion over 
all the earth,” and it is only that we fail to accept and 
exercise that dominion that allows things and condi¬ 
tions to seem to have become adverse to our freedom 
here. 

Circumstances in themselves have absolutely no 
control over us, until we, through lack of interest in 
Life’s offerings, and distrust of the universal plan, 
allow our hands to fall from the steering wheel. 

It is up to us to manifest health, happiness and 
prosperity, or the reverse of these conditions, just as 
we WILL. 

We are masters of our fate, and the circumstances 
in our lives will always bow before us when we arise in 
our might. 

Upon what authority is such a statement based, do 
you ask? Authority as positive and substantial as 
this: “Thou shalt decree a thing, and it shall be 
established unto thee.” 

But even after anything as strong as that, the 
establishing power can establish for each one of us only 
the things and conditions we decree. 

If we decree or declare that we are ill, poor, 
miserable or otherwise “in prison,” these are the 
conditions that will be established unto us. 

Again, declaring or affirming that we have health, 
strength, love, confidence and plenty, will by the same 
Law, establish those conditions in our lives. 

We cannot fill the mental garden with weeds (wrong 
thoughts), and then look forward to a harvest of the 
good things we desire; for just as “little foxes spoil 
the vines,” in nature’s garden, so do the little periods 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


19 


that we waste in destructive thinking and talking, 
retard our progress toward the goal of satisfac¬ 
tion. 

That we carefully cultivate and watch the mental 
garden, is quite as necessary, and much more impor¬ 
tant, as that we banish all destructive forces from our 
material vines and fig trees; since what is disastrous 
to the one will likewise prove disastrous and ruinous 
to the other. 

This does not mean, however, that if we are living 
amidst undesirable conditions today, that we are 
doomed to continue in such living, to the end of the 
chapter. 

We may always wash Life’s slate, and begin the 
problem of living anew. 

Just as it is possible to turn about, when we discover 
that we are traveling on the wrong highway, and go 
in whatsoever direction we desire, so may one turn 
about mentally, from the wrong to the right manner 
of thinking ; and begin at once to build up, and re¬ 
construct, that portion of ourselves, and our living 
conditions, which are not in accord with our concep¬ 
tion, of what our Father willed to each one of His 
children, here upon the earth. 

“Dominion over every living thing that moveth upon 
the earth,” is the birthright belonging to each of us; 
and it is our privilege to take possession of this in¬ 
heritance, here and now; and to begin immediately, 
to enjoy its benefits, as fast as we really believe and 
ACCEPT His TRUTH. 

Have some of us thought ourselves into undesirable 
conditions? Or do we find ourselves so involved, 



20 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


because of having accepted without taking the trouble 
to investigate, wrong ideas from others? 

Even so, let us be unafraid and full of courage, 
realizing that by changing our mental processes, we 
may so change ourselves - and our environments, that 
both we and they, shall become, “Exceedingly, abun¬ 
dantly above all that we can ask or even think,” in 
accord with the promise of our elder brother. 

Does that seem to us “too good to be true”? 

Nothing is too good to be true, if we realize that we 
are dealing with all power, an individual portion of 
which, is in us, and all about us. 

Undesirable conditions cannot, however, change of 
themselves. We must decree the change, before it 
can be established unto us. 

Until we get our thought current right, or Con¬ 
structive, the things which are established unto us, 
will not be right, and will not be satisfying. 

Desiring a change, we must determine to do all we 
can to bring such change to pass; and this is not in¬ 
frequently accomplished, when we have simply and 
honestly, turned about our mental processes. 

We need only to try this experiment right where we 
are today, if life and living is not bringing to us the 
satisfaction we desire. 

Let us “loose” the discouraged and destructive 
thought, and “let it go”; and then fill the mind to over¬ 
flowing, with the good thoughts, Paul suggests. 

Hunt, if need be, for some “virtue” or some “good” 
or “praise”; and then steadfastly think on those 
things, until we shall attract into sight, many others 
for which to be really joyful and glad. 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


21 


Instead of being cast down by discouragement, when 
a rather stubborn obstacle appears in the pathway, if 
we would only be still for a moment, and realize that 
all is good —the seeming obstacle, quite as much as 
anything else that comes to us,—and then arise and 
look for something to do, either for ourselves or our 
neighbor, which shall make that particular moment, 
hour or day, of real value to Universal Consciousness, 
we should soon find the obstacle melting away, seem¬ 
ingly of its own volition. 

Trials, troubles and tribulations so-called, are the 
natural harvest of discouragement; while in the sun¬ 
light of courage, love, do and dare, they fade out of 
sight, into the nothingness from which they come. 

Let us each decide to make of ourselves, the kind of 
workers in our Father’s vineyard here on the earth, 
that shall earn for Him large dividends; and shall earn 
for ourselves, the hundred fold increase in talents, He 
has promised to each of His children, if they will but 
believe and receive, in accord with His word. 

Once convinced of the joy, of living on Life’s hilltop 
of energetic satisfaction, rather than in the valley of 
tears, nerves and unhappiness, obstacles which may 
loom up somewhat appallingly today become only little 
stepping stones, over which we confidently pass, to the 
green pastures of our heart’s desire. 

Concentrated thought not only creates, but like 
a magnet, it attracts to itself, thought of like char¬ 
acter, in accord with the Law of Attraction, under 
which, “like attracts like.” 

If we are employing Constructive and optimistic 
thoughts, on our daily problems, as they come to us for 




22 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


solution, we are also attracting to ourselves much force 
from like Constructive Thinkers all over the world. 

And it is not difficult to imagine, how much of bene¬ 
fit may come to us through this additional thought 
power when added to our own efforts. 

That precisely the same natural Law, applies to the 
matter of negative or destructive thinking, we must 
not forget. And as there are still many of us who 
allow ourselves to think and talk of trials, troubles and 
tribulations, we can hardly be surprised, when those 
unwanted conditions appear to be present in our lives. 
So it must be if we allow the mind to become attuned 
to the negative key. 

Let us determine to take Paul’s advice, and from 
now on, think on the “things that are of virtue, and of 
good report,” whether those things are visible to the 
physical eye or otherwise. 

Many of the real things of life are invisible. 

None of us have ever seen the wind, the thunder, the 
air, or even the electricity, that is doing so much of 
our work, as well as lighting our homes and communi¬ 
ties. And yet who of us will say these things are of 
small value? 

“Go thy way, believing, and as thou believest, so 
it is unto thee.” If we will go believing in health, 
happiness and prosperity, peace, pow r er and satisfac¬ 
tion, those are the conditions that will every day be¬ 
come more and more in evidence in our lives, as we 
grow into the poised, kindly and efficient men and 
women our Father delights to prosper. 



Chapter II 


GETTING RESULTS 

B EFORE rendering a decision, a conscientious 
judge demands that all possible evidence having 
to do with the matter before him, shall be presented. 

We will do likewise with the matter of Constructive 
Thinking. 

Having considered the positive side, let us see if the 
negative process of thinking has anything to be of¬ 
fered in its favor. 

What does negative thinking mean? It means that 
we are reaching conclusions from appearances, rather 
than from the real things about us. 

That we are reckoning, as it were, with these ap¬ 
pearances, and seeming to consider them the real things 
of life, when the Law recommends that we “Judge not 
by appearances,” but that we form our judgments 
from what we know to be His truth. 

Negative thinking, if pursued with something of dil¬ 
igence, weakens the life structure since it gives the 
dominion over ale things, which is the natural inheri¬ 
tance of each one of us, to seeming things and condi¬ 
tions. 

Thinking thusly, we begin declaring ourselves slaves 

to these seeming conditions, when in reality they have 

23 


24 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


no power over us, only as we so vest them with im¬ 
portance, and discuss them as realities. 

Here is a man apologizing to his brother, to whom 
he has been uncivil, by declaring that indigestion has 
gotten the better of him, and is making him grouchy 
and disagreeable. That this is why he is below par in 
courtesy to his fellows. 

Indigestion has caused him to let himself down a 
little, and so lie is not really to blame for releasing the 
brake of self-mastery, and passing up the Law of lov¬ 
ing kindness. 

If his neighbor has been mentally side-swiped by his 
indulgence in bad temper, it can’t be helped, since in¬ 
digestion has the right of way. 

It is not what a man eats that causes him to be dis¬ 
agreeable, or to seem to be a slave to indigestion. 

Read what our elder brother says about the food 
question: 

“Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, 
or what ye shall drink.” 

He was aware that a perfect menu had been pro¬ 
vided by the first Great Cause and that if men be¬ 
lieved in Him, the food matter would automatically 
take care of itself. 

So called indigestion is never a cause, but always 
an effect, of which wrong Thinking is the cause. 

Let us fix in mind this one economy thought, namely, 
that we cannot afford to eat wrong thoughts or words 
with our food. 

With our mental operations going rightly, we shall 
find few occasions when it is* necessary to apologize 
for outward appearances. 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


25 


Outward appearances are only reflections of the real 
thing that is taking place within. Let us be sure to 
remember that. 

To consider indigestion, or any other seeming phys¬ 
ical difficulty, a cause for discourtesy, is to work 
backward upon Life’s great problem. 

To solve this problem we shall have to begin with 
the mind—the thoughts we are inwardly entertain¬ 
ing, of which our words and acts are but the ripened 
fruit. 

Getting this matter correctly adjusted, we can dis¬ 
pense with indigestion tablets, Pink Pills, and even 
Hood’s Sarsaparilla. For there will come to us such 
an inflow of Good Will toward our neighbor (our 
neighbor being everybody and everything our Father 
created), that we shall voluntarily arise and shine as 
His sun of Rightness; caring little whether we shine 
on the just or the so-called unjust, so that we are 
about our Father’s business here in His great and good 
vineyard. 

“That tired feeling,” will no more cause us to feel 
cross, since it will be gone for all time; and we shall 
know that we are equal to every emergency which be¬ 
comes a part of the day’s work. 

To get the idea of physical illness correctly ad¬ 
justed, we shall have to do some real thinking. 

Racial ideas on this subject are mostly putting the 
horse behind the* cart, and then blaming all inefficiency 
of action on the horse. 

Constructive and cheerful thinking is a wonder¬ 
ful cure-all for every dis-ease to which flesh is supposed 
to be heir. But until we feel the necessity of becom- 



26 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


ing familiar with this theory, in order that we may 
test it for ourselves, in the solution of life’s problems, 
we are allowing one of the great by-products of our 
day to be largely wasted. 

Why continue to “feed on the husks” when we might 
so much more naturally and happily be eating with 
“the guests at our Father’s table”? 

That one simple promise, “Ye shall know the truth, 
and the truth shall make you free,” when accepted 
at its face value, leads to any and every good thing 
and condition the heart desires. 

Until so accepted, it is not a promise unto us and is 
as useless of course, as any other promise in which we 
refuse to have confidence. 

Health, happiness and prosperity are ours for the 
taking. Let us learn to graciously reach out and 
ACCEPT THEM. 

Surrounding conditions will cease impeding our 
progress when we are really in earnest in seeking this 
“Pearl of great price.” 

We will accept the statement that illness, poverty 
and all such inharmony are never causes, and try these 
matters out for ourselves. 

A few thoughtful experiments will soon convince us 
that such conditions are the natural effect of wrong 
thinking, which have become crystallized in us and in 
our surroundings or affairs. 

The inner phase of mind—sometimes called the sub¬ 
conscious—controls our activities more largely than 
we are always aware; getting its direction from the 
outer, or conscious phase of mind, and acting upon this 
direction with much precision. So that the matter of 




WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


27 


working out of undesirable conditions into such sur¬ 
roundings as we desire, is clearly a matter within the 
reach of every individual— if that individual will 
rightly oversee and operate the mental workshop. 

This is the point of beginning, if we would make our 
way intelligently to the goal of freedom; otherwise we 
shall constantly be destroying and invalidating our 
work by allowing doubts, fears, and likewise negative 
thoughts, to come in and quite take possession of the 
mind. 

Diligently planting good seed today, only to up¬ 
root or unearth it tomorrow, cannot produce a harvest, 
even though the sun and rain are unerring in perform¬ 
ing their prescribed offices. 

The seed must have time to germinate and take 
root, before it can begin its natural process of 
growing. 

In every line of endeavor which helps to make up 
life, it is much the same. To obtain desirable results, 
we must be consistent in our endeavors, else much of 
our time and energy will be wasted. 

Knowing the Truth, let us remember, will not be all 
sufficient. 

We must prove our knowledge to the Great Infinite 
Mind, by consistently living the Truth we say we be¬ 
lieve. This we can only do by intelligently studying 
and understanding what our Father would have us to 

do. 

Spasmodic efforts in right living, will get us but 
small advancement. 

We must learn to conquer both the conscious mind, 
and the physical body, if we would have the promised 




28 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


reward of freedom; a condition certainly worthy our 
mightiest effort. 

If we are failing to manifest the conditions necessary 
for large and unselfish living, let us examine our men¬ 
tal processes; and if we are impartial in our judgment, 
we shall discover the reason for our failure. 

Our Father has made plain terms under which we 
may inherit all things, whatsoever we desire. Our fail¬ 
ure does not invalidate His Law, but rather indicates 
that we have not lived up to our part of the contract. 

What have we done that we ought not to have done? 
Or, what have we left undone that we should have done? 

The inspiration of the Almighty will tell us, if we 
will turn the mind within, and listen for its guid¬ 
ance. The Word is positive—“Ask, and ye shall 
receive.” 

We must, however, be careful that w T e do not trans¬ 
pose the Law, in ever so slight a degree, in order that 
it shall seem to agree with our desires. 

Such attempts merely retard progress. Before the 
Law will unerringly operate, w T e must prove our title 
to the good it offers, by living in exact accord with 
its suggestions, when excuses will be unnecessary. 

The attainment of our highest ideals is a matter 
under our own control. If we fail to so attain, it is 
not the fault of our neighbor. 

We have to learn that the business of large and self¬ 
less living cannot be successfully pursued with indiffer¬ 
ence. Neither will a mixture of courage and doubt 
achieve anything worth while. 

Successful living calls for high and sustained en¬ 
deavor. 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


29 


Some one has defined genius as, “The ability to go 
without eating.” 

There is, however, always sufficient time to eat; in¬ 
deed, there is ample time for everything, when we learn 
to utilize, and profitably distribute our time, rather 
than to waste it. 

Intelligent operation of the outer force and inner 
power, six days a week and fifty-two weeks in a year, 
will allow each one of us to reach the goal of satisfac¬ 
tion with some time to our credit. 

Thinking rightly for thirty minutes in the morn¬ 
ing and again in the evening, may do something for 
us. But it is not sufficient to take us to freedom, 
particularly when we remember how far afield the mind 
is likely to wander, during the period between those 
two half hours. 

Negative, or destructive, thinking is the rock of fail¬ 
ure upon which many of our brothers and sisters be¬ 
come shipwrecked. A calamity quite unnecessary, if 
we will learn to direct the mental operations, cultivat¬ 
ing good cheer despite all appearances of ill. 

On all creeds, racial ideas and ancestral teachings 
dealing with gloom, defeat and discouragement, let us 
close down the lid good and tight, beginning a new 
year, thinking on the things which make living a joy, 
and each day’s work a satisfaction. 

To re-create ourselves in harmony with the laws of 
living, is quite possible, and nothing like as difficult as 
many of us are allowing ourselves to believe. 

When this re-creation takes place, all drudgery is 
gone from our lives for all time; and each new day 
brings its quota of loving service , in our Father’s vine- 



30 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


yard, for which we shall not fail to obtain wonderful 
results. 

Let us not suppose this may be accomplished by re¬ 
peating or affirming a few constructive sentences for 
a few moments morning and evening, and allowing the 
mental operation to run as it will the balance of the 
time, else we will be disappointed. 

To accomplish satisfying results in any line, we must 
work both honestly and effectively, with patience, ex¬ 
pecting and awaiting the result of our endeavors. 

Moving forward one step only to slip back two, will 
not get us anywhere. But steadily moving forward, 
means success; and if each step is but little ahead of 
the last, we are making progress, and shall in due 
season, arrive. 

It matters little, however, how brilliant our progress 
today, if doubts and fears are allowed to have control 
of the mind tomorrow. They will not only extinguish 
the fire of our enthusiasm, but will so undermine and 
shatter our self-confidence in our ability to accomplish 
the necessary tasks, that we shall find ourselves halt¬ 
ing between two opinions—dividing our house against 
itself as it were—an operation we know to be 
unprofitable. 

If we would have constant progress in any line, we 
must learn to control the thought force, using it for 
constructive work constantly rather than intermit¬ 
tently. A contented mind comes not of complaining, 
arguing, doubting or fearing. While strong and 
healthful bodies are not builded by thinking on the 
reverse of these conditions. 




WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


31 


Daily we are proving that “as a man thinketh in 
his heart, SO is he.” 

We are manifesting the things and conditions about 
which we think and talk. It matters not what we say 
we think, as we read these lines. Our own, the things 
with which we inwardly (mentally) relate ourselves, 
must come to us. That is Nature’s Law, and could 
not fail if it would. 

Tear, doubt and worry are destructive elements to¬ 
day, quite the same as they were in Peter’s time. 
Reading his experience in walking upon the water, we 
see that so long as his thought was rightly placed, 
he was able to make his way forward toward Christ, 
as his faith had persuaded him for a time he could 
do. 

His faith becoming weak, as he looked down from 
Christ and saw the water all about him, he began to 
sink. 

To a greater or lesser extent, most of us are Peters. 

With our faith properly placed in the All Good, we 
go forward cheerfully surmounting life’s difficulties, 
and hardly realizing that they are difficulties. Mere 
tests of our ability to play well our part, they appear. 

Lacking faith, our sheet anchor is gone, and discour¬ 
agement and uncertainty soon begin to cause collapse 
to our life structure. 

Let us decide to believe the promises which we find 
in the Universal Law, accepting them as a reliable 
chart for successfully navigating life’s sea. 

This belief will prove both a Constructive and crea¬ 
tive force—the substance, as a matter of fact, from 




32 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


which we may create whatsoever we need day after day 
for large and satisfactory living. 

It is from such faith that we may be certain of at¬ 
tracting into sight, not only the day’s needs, but the 
“Exceeding, abundantly more than we can Ask or even 
think,” our Father has promised to each one of us, 
if we will seek diligently to live in accord with His 
will. 

These are all important matters to each one of us; 
and matters in regard to which we do not need to take 
any one’s “say-so.” We may at once go about prov¬ 
ing them for ourselves. First, by discovering what is 
the Universal Law, and then by seeing to it that we 
mark our course in accord therewith. 

When we realize the importance of using our men¬ 
tal forces aright, we shall be careful of all influences 
allowed in the mental workshop; since the “I can’t” 
manner of thinking, has not a single thing to recom¬ 
mend it to our favorable consideration. 

It is always possible to choose worth while things 
and conditions upon which to focus the mind; and if 
we will determine to do this, regardless of whether we 
are enjoying health, happiness and prosperity as we 
read this suggestion, or whether quite the reverse of 
these conditions appear to be our portion, our “liv¬ 
ing pictures” will very soon begin to be of the variety 
of which we shall not need to feel ashamed. 

It is not more difficult to mentally picture, or se¬ 
riously think about the things we desire than it is to 
think about things and conditions which only cause us 
to be unhappy and dissatisfied. 

Paul’s instruction, if we will accept and make use 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


33 


of it, will prove good for all of us. “If there be 
any virtue, if there be any good, think on these 
things.” 

The mind cannot create health while we are con¬ 
stantly holding before it, pictures of illness. Neither, 
can it create happiness and prosperity while we per¬ 
sist in planning on poverty and the things similar 
which cause us discomfort. So long as we discuss 
and think about the things we fear, and about which 
we worry, mentally making of them realities with which 
we must reckon, those are the things in which we are 
establishing our faith; and so those will be the things 
and conditions in the midst of which we shall find it 
necessary to live. 

Let us remember that fear is only wrongly di¬ 
rected faith. We are having faith in things we do not 
want, rather than in the things we desire. 

Relating word pictures as to illness or suffering 
of any kind is to at least temporarily clothe such 
conditions with power over us. We are holding be¬ 
fore the mental camera things we do not want, and 
wondering that it does not photograph for us the 
reverse of these conditions. 

Let us remember this the next time we are tempted 
to entertain our friends with a recital of our difficul¬ 
ties—our illness, or our “operation,” and refrain from 
so doing, unless we are willing to multiply and in¬ 
crease these undesirable conditions for the satisfaction 
of such recitation. 

Keeping constantly before the mind pictures and 
conditions of health, harmony, love, success and satis¬ 
faction, and so inviting and expecting those condi- 




34 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


tions to express in and through us, will so impress the 
inner phase of mind, that it will find ways and means 
of attracting into visibility, all and much more, 
than the outer, or conscious mind, is aware of seeking. 

It soon becomes easy and natural, as we mingle with 
our fellows, to discover which are the negative and 
which are the positive mentalities. 

Why one man is cast down and the other full of cour¬ 
age, we do not know, as we pass them on Life’s high¬ 
way. But almost at a glance we can choose the con¬ 
structive thinkers in a crowd of our brothers and 
sisters. 

Each face unconsciously gives out its own message. 
One is happy and optimistic; the next discouraged and 
disconsolate, and each attracts after its own manner 

of THINKING. 

Like attracts like on every plane of living; and so 
we respond, and attract to ourselves those who are 
mentally operating on a like plane. 

If we are happy and full of courage, we attract 
to us the thought of other optimistic and contented 
• minds; adding its force to our own, and so uncon¬ 
sciously becoming more and more content with our in¬ 
heritance, as well as more ambitious to so invest our 
talents as to earn our Father’s commendation. 

Likewise, if we are negative and cast down in our 
thought, we are attracting to ourselves the mental op¬ 
eration on that plane, which will only help us to be¬ 
come more cast down, depressed and discouraged. 

“Birds of a feather, flock together,” in the mental 
realm quite as much as on the physical or material 
plane; and this makes it wise to keep a close watch 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


35 


at the door of the mind, refusing entrance to all save 
the ideas which lead to accomplishment—the things 
worthy our best endeavor. 

Mostly, we talk too much, and think too little, thus 
wasting much of the creative energy which, if con¬ 
served and properly used, would soon become a most 
valuable asset in any life. 

If our neighbor is in distress, it helps very little to 
seem to bury ourselves in his trouble, moaning and 
weeping and doing very little else to help him to sur¬ 
mount his difficulties. 

Faith and works are repeatedly recommended in 
the Scriptures as going hand in hand; the one with¬ 
out the other being of small account in the matter of 
achieving desirable results. 

To believe that we may merely pray for the heathen, 
and then religiously feel that we have done our whole 
duty by them, is a greatly mistaken idea of what is 
meant by real charity. 

“Love thy neighbor as thyself,” is an important por¬ 
tion of the Universal Law; and we should make it our 
real business to be kind and helpful on all occasions, 
but with the constructive element of encouragement , 
that radiates from an understanding heart. 

Much of the vocal sympathy that is broadcasted is 
so negative and destructive as to merely add to the 
burden of the one to whom it is offered. 

Quiet, confident and understanding thoughts, fol¬ 
lowed by such action as will be helpful, are always ap¬ 
preciated ; and if we desire to help our neighbor who 
is in trouble, let us endeavor to help him to get a 
grip on himself. Without appearing to misunder- 



36 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


stand or belittle his trials, let us direct his mind away 
from them, until it becomes possible to overcome and 
cast them out of his life and affairs. 

Constructive thinking and living should take us to 
the honorable milestone of eighty, looking little dif¬ 
ferent than at forty, save to have impressed more of 
His likeness in form and feature; together with the 
power to speak the word as He spoke it, and do the 
things that He did. 

With this power will come health in place of illness; 
harmony in place of discouragement; success to take 
the place of failure, and loving kindness of sufficient 
breadth to extend around His world. 

, We are, indeed, our own creators. In every situa¬ 
tion into which the business of living calls us, we hold 
the balance of power. 

If we are using our God given ability aright, we 
may make of ourselves and our environments, not alone 
what we today think would satisfy us, but “Exceeding, 
abundantly above all that we can even think,” as our 
Father has so graciously promised. 

Today brings to each of us a fresh opportunity. 

If yesterday’s burdens were heavy, and we failed to 
make the grade, why be cast down and discouraged? 
Let’s try again, with renewed confidence, and ere long 
success will come and naturally abide with us. 

Truly the harvest is plenteous, and the efficient 
laborers are few. Let us be quick to say, “Here am 
I, Father, send me.” 



Chapter III 


HOW TO CURE FEAR 

I N the Gospel as offered by Matthew’s eighth chap¬ 
ter, we may read a story which runs something like 
this: 

And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples 
followed him. 

And there arose a great storm, so great that the ship 
was covered with the waves, but Christ was asleep. 

And his disciples, becoming afraid, awoke him, say¬ 
ing, Lord, save us: We perish. 

And he said unto them, “Why are ye fearful, O ye 
of little faith?” Then he arose and spoke to the ele¬ 
ments, and calmness immediately came out of seem¬ 
ing destruction. 

But the disciples were amazed, and began inquiring 
among themselves: “What manner of man is this, 
that even the winds and sea obey him?” 

Reading this story, and many others related in the 
Scripture, describing Christ’s remarkable power, we 
wonder how the disciples, associated with Him as they 
were, could ever have doubted, or denied, Him or His 
teaching. 

And yet, after two thousand years of far more ex¬ 
cellent teaching, perhaps, than these men had for only 
a brief time, the same question is quite as applicable 
to us, as to the disciples. 


37 


38 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


Why are we fearful and troubled over many things? 
And why are we not in possession of our birthright of 
“all things, whatsoever ye can Ask, believing in 
me” ? 

It may be because we hear so much of the things peo¬ 
ple fear, and so little of the faith that moves moun¬ 
tains, that the latter seems to us more or less a beauti¬ 
ful theory, well expounded, to be sure, but unsafe as 
a chart by which to navigate through the troublous 
waters of life’s experience. 

And it was of men who felt in their time about as 
the majority of men feel in our time, that Christ asked 
the question quoted above adding, I fancy with a sigh, 
“0 ye of little faith.” 

Instead of putting our problem up to Universal 
Mind, and leaving it there expecting a proper and 
right solution, our conduct is almost precisely the same 
as was Peter’s two thousand years ago when he, see¬ 
ing his Master coming toward the ship in which he was, 
enthusiastically cried out “Lord, if it be Thou, bid me 
come unto thee on the water.” 

And Christ said, “Come.” Peter, feeling sure he 
could do it, got down out of the ship and started to¬ 
ward Christ. But the next moment he saw the water 
all about him, and felt the wind. Forgetting Christ, 
and the faith that had made him feel he could do an}^- 
thing Christ told him to do, he began to shout, “Lord, 
save me, Lord, save me.” 

And so we bring our simple, or more complex prob¬ 
lem, to our Father, feeling that if we ask His aid, 
all will soon be worked out for us. 

And it will, if we do our part as honestly and un- 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


39 


erringly as He has done His. But if we expect In¬ 
finite Spirit to do for us anything that we can well 
and reasonably do for ourselves, we shall likely be dis¬ 
appointed. 

Faith in God, the All Good, which casts out all fear, 
means so firmly believing that we are heard and an¬ 
swered, when we ask, that we proceed with all details, 
which belong to us to attend to, precisely as though 
the desired good were at that moment in our hands. 

That is active faith, from which will be created the 
“all that we can Ask or even think” Father has 
promised. 

To ask for a thing or condition, and then wait 
around feeling that we have completed our part of the 
matter, and that until the thing becomes visible, or 
is put into our hands , we need do nothing more, is 
not active faith; and is merely the hope that Infinite 
Spirit will take up and complete for us the trouble¬ 
some details of the thing, that we do not wish to en¬ 
counter. And hope and faith are as different in their 
offices, as anything of which we can conceive. 

Let us not confuse this statement with Paul’s defi¬ 
nition of hope, as he wrote to his brothers in Rome. 
He said, “We are saved by hope: But hope that is 
seen is not hope: For what a man seeth, why doth he 
yet hope for?” 

Really, Paul is talking of faith rather than hope— 
that faith that sees with the inner mind and knows 
that the desired good is ours, and will soon break in 
upon our consciousness. 

Feeling when we have asked that we are answered, 
let us not begin to ask ourselves what we shall do if the 



40 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


Infinite does not attend to the matter for us; and let 
us not begin to run hither and yon, beseeching ad¬ 
vice and assistance of people who know much less of 
the situation than ourselves. 

The promise of Infinite Mind is positive and simple, 
telling us that “whatsoever things we desire,” if we 
believe that we receive them, at the moment w T e ask 
for them, rather than to put the answer off into the 
future, we shall have them. There are no “ifs” or 
“huts” in the promise. 

“Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou 
removed and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not 
doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things 
which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have what¬ 
soever he saith.” 

From no visible source can we get a more positive 
promise than that; and we may at any time prove the 
absolute reliability of these promises. If we are hon¬ 
est and earnest in doing such things as are required 
of us, not one of Father’s promises will be found want¬ 
ing. They never default. 

Sometimes people tell me that they have tried them 
very faithfully, and were unable to demonstrate the 
good they sought. 

Of course the trouble is not with the Law (the prom¬ 
ises), but with the individual, in every case, although 
the individual may honestly believe at the moment, 
that he or she has done all that the Law required. 

Faith is a matter of growth, not only in experience, 
but in wisdom and understanding; and until we seek 
the good “with all our heart,” it will not be found of 
us. This means that we need to make a steady and 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


41 


careful study of the Universal Law, just as that one 
who desires to understand and operate the man-made 
laws, must carefully make a study of them. 

Faith operates always in accord with our mental 
processes; so that when we are fearing that some un¬ 
wanted thing may come into our lives, that fear will 
be the substance from which the mind must create 
at that time; and like Job, we shall have to later ad¬ 
mit that “The thing that I have feared, has come 
upon me.” 

The mind cannot be filled with fears and doubts, and 
at the same time be creating from quite the opposite 
substance, that of perfect confidence in All Good. 
We either have faith in Good, or in ill, and whichever 
it is upon which we are mentally working (thinking), 
in accord with that pattern we shall create, and attract 
into our lives. 

This makes it necessary, that we keep a close watch 
on our thought processes, else we shall build today to 
destroy tomorrow, and thus constantly void all at¬ 
tempts at progress. 

That we can do anything by thought is a great but 
simple truth, and while it means that we may, if we 
will, traverse “Green pastures,” and continually re¬ 
fresh ourselves by the side of “still waters,” it also 
means that unless we keep a conscious and careful 
guard upon our thoughts, we shall not only make slow 
progress toward the goal we seek, but we may make no 
progress whatsoever. 

“According to thy faith be it unto thee,” means 
that if our faith is in illness, unhappiness, poverty, 
any unwanted but feared condition, we shall create 



42 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


and attract such conditions, until we determine to 
change our manner of thinking, and stop once and for 
all, fearing that this, that or the other disagreeable 
and undesirable thing will come to us. To choose what 
shall come to us daily, and then steadfastly see to it, 
that we mentally stick to our choice, shutting out all 
adverse thoughts, just as we would shut out insects 
which threatened to invade our material workshops. 

Again, our faith—our expectation of the help we 
desire—must be so firmly fixed upon the process we 
are following that we will realize that it is necessary 
to know all it is possible to learn about that process. 

Christ said, “Ye shall Know the truth, and the 
Truth shall make you free.” But, if this promise is 
about all we know about that particular phase of 
the matter, it alone will not lead us to the goal for 
which we long. We need to learn what comes before 
this splendid promise; and also we must be in easy pos¬ 
session of all His promises, and laws which follow it. 

A knowledge of truth in itself amounts to very little 
to the individual, until that individual begins to apply 
what he has read or learned, precisely as the Law pre¬ 
scribes. But when he does this, he soon feels within 
himself that he has within reach of his hand the open 
book of all knowledge. The key to the kingdom of 
All Good, as it were. 

When we begin applying the knowledge of Truth 
we may so easily obtain from the Gospels, and from 
such books as are explanatory of the same, we soon 
come upon one very important factor in the matter 
of demonstrating or manifesting the things we desire, 
namely: “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, 





WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


43 


believe that ye Receive them, and ye shall have 
them.” 

If we stop reading His Law there, we shall very 
likely fall far short of the knowledge of demonstration 
(or receiving the things for which we see’k) neces¬ 
sary, to assure success upon every occasion; for the 
Universal Law is the first and most accurate science, 
known to man. 

Let us continue to read the Law, as pronounced by 
our elder brother, who took care to say, he came not 
to destroy the Law, but to fulfill it. And then He 
goes on to say that “One jot or one tittle shall in no 
wise pass from the Law, until all be fulfilled.” So 
that we must be careful to comply with His word, in 
relation to the fulfilling of the Law. 

“And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have 
aught against any; that your Father also, which is in 
heaven, may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye 
do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in 
heaven, forgive your trespasses.” 

These Law r s upon which the universe operates, do 
not operate singly, but as one Great whole. So that, 
as James tells, if we “Keep the whole Law, and fail 
in one point” we are held guilty of all. 

Many times we shall find, if we are honest in look¬ 
ing over our hearts, when we have seemed to fail in 
receiving the help from All Power we have sought, that 
we have not lived up to the spirit of the Law. 

And it often is this matter of forgiving that proves 
our Waterloo. 

We say we have forgiven this or that one, but in 
our hearts we still retain the bad taste of some former 



44 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


unpleasantness, which really amounts to nothing, but 
with which we are, perhaps almost unconsciously, some¬ 
what loath to part company. 

It is, however, simply wasting our time and energy 
to attempt to accept and profit by a portion of the 
Universal Law, while we quite disregard such part as 
seems to apply to what appeals to us as an unpleas¬ 
ant task. 

It is the seemingly unpleasant things which, when 
we prove ourselves selfless and big enough to approach 
them rightly bring to us the most satisfying results. 

Attempting to meet the calls of the Universal Law in 
such manner as best suits our convenience is quite 
as likely to bring discouragement as reward. 

It is as though we allow ourselves to travel in a direc¬ 
tion we know to be leading away from a desired goal, 
with a sort of forlorn hope that we may, by some 
chance, discover a way of arriving at our destination 
without retracing our steps. 

Eventually we shall have to turn about and seek 
the correct thoroughfare, regardless of the cost to 
ourselves. 

Likewise, if we would take advantage of all that 
the Universal Law offers, we must accept it word for 
word, as it appears upon the statute book of the ages; 
and any time we occupy in attempting to make it co¬ 
incide with our individual likes and dislikes, will be 
practically wasted, save as a matter of illumination 
and experience. 

Ultimately w r e cannot fail, because we have not 
chosen Him but He has chosen us, and ordained us, 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


45 


“that we shall go and bring forth fruit”; and He 
makes no errors of judgment. 

We can, however, retard our own progress toward 
freedom so long as we fail to carefully ascertain what 
the Law requires of us; or so long as we attempt to 
interpret any portion of the Law, in such manner as 
to accommodate our own personal desires. 

“Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it 
done unto thee,” was Christ’s direction to the Cen¬ 
turion. Were He upon the earth today, I suspect He 
might say much the same to each of us. 

“Go thy way,” and if you believe you are poor, ill, 
neglected, disliked or in any w T ay mistreated, so it is, 
unto you. Until you steadfastly determine to change 
your manner of thinking, and to hang more desirable 
pictures before the camera of your mind, even the Al¬ 
mighty cannot give you peace, power and plenty. 

If we would be perfect, even as our Father is per¬ 
fect (and this refers not solely to so-called spiritual 
conditions, but to all conditions which go together to 
make up life), the Universal Law supplies all the in¬ 
formation necessary for our intelligent guidance; and 
this Law applies with equal force to all conditions. 

Let us realize that before we can live precisely in ac¬ 
cord with this Law, we must know what it is; and until 
we do know it, and live in accord with its direction, 
we are not entitled to receive the wonderful benefits 
It offers, to those who do really believe in it. 

It helps in arriving at freedom, if we understand 
that we cannot separate so-called spiritual and ma¬ 
terial things—choosing to accept the one, and to have 
little to do with the other. Under the Law, as dis- 



46 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


cussed by our elder Brother, he makes no dividing line 
where the one condition leaves off and the other begins. 

“Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss”; 
and so we shall continue to ask and receive not, until we 
take care to “get the facts” in relation to how we may 
manifest “all things, whatsoever ye shall ask.” 

Without this knowledge we may yet be able to demon¬ 
strate some of the things and conditions we desire.* 
But, we shall quite as frequently fail in making connec¬ 
tion with the things we are seeking. This, because 
we have divided our house against itself, in that we 
have given little heed to His, “Seek ye first the King¬ 
dom of God (the good), and His rightness, and all 
these things shall be added unto you.” 

Instead of going about our work just as He has 
prescribed, we have turned the Law more or less around 
and have been trying to manifest “the things” to which 
He refers, without giving much attention to seeking 
the Kingdom of God (the good). 

In speaking of the material things, so-called, He 
said: “Your Heavenly Father knoweth that ye have 
need of all these things.” 

He does not tell us that “these things” are of no 
importance to us. Rather He makes them seem quite 
as essential in their way, as are the so-called spiritual 
things, but He knows they are not the important por¬ 
tion of our birthright; nevertheless He is determined 
that we shall in no w r ay be found lacking, if we will 
try to do well our part. 

What is our part? To seek the first Kingdom of 
God, and His rightness. Having done this honestly 
and earnestly, we cannot escape the so-called material 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


47 


things, since they are a legitimate part of our Father’s 
legacy to us, which will come to us in a perfectly 
natural manner as fast as we have earned the right 
to possess them. 

Suppose we ask ourselves the following questions: 
Why am I fearful and troubled over many things? 

Why did 1 fret and worry over that material con¬ 
dition or thing of yesterday? 

Why do I doubt the strength of my Heavenly 
Father’s arm, this moment? 

Why, when seeking His aid, do 1 not expect Him to 
hear and answer me? and why do I almost at once begin 
to wonder if I shall obtain anything for the asking? 

Why do I not take my Father at His word, in 
every instance? 

All these questions are quite similar to that one 
asked by the disciples of their Master: “Why could 
not we cast him out?” Meaning the unclean spirit. 
And can be answered quite as simply in Christ’s words: 
“Because of your Unbelief.” 

Then He goes on, telling His disciples that if they 
had the simple Faith in God, the All Good, that is dis¬ 
played by a little mustard seed, that nothing would 
be impossible unto them. 



Fear means a certain dread, or consciousness of ap 


proaching danger or trouble. 


pation of something unwelcome. 

But how can we trust God and anticipate trouble at 
the same time? 

Of course we cannot; and that Christ realized this is 
indicated by His “Oh, ye of little Faith, wherefore 
didst thou doubt?” 



48 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


If we fail to exercise simple Faith in His promises, 
as set down in the Universal Law, those promises can 
do little for us, since “Faith is the substance of things 
hoped for.” 

Faith is the commodity really by or from which will 
come the things and conditions for which we earnestly 
seek. And as Paul says, “Without Faith, ye are noth¬ 
ing”—that is, we have nothing upon which to build 
an invisible structure, w r hich, in good time, faith would 
attract into visibility from some perfectly natural 
source of supply. 

To fear or expect trouble and disaster is to create 
it for ourselves, just as to ask for and expect God’s 
care over us, is to create such condition. 

thought is the mental food by which we build up 
and strengthen an idea, regardless of whether the idea 
is Constructive or destructive. 

Job discovered this Law 7 of mental attraction, as 
is proven by his declaration, “The thing that I have 
feared, has come upon me.” 

Having anticipated trouble in meeting some future 
emergency or condition, are w T e in a more efficient 
mental attitude, as the time arrives calling for action? 
Are we prepared to take the helm and steer a clear 
course tow r ard a right outcome, with more of confidence 
and assurance, than though w 7 e had “cast our burden 
on the Lord,” asking for, and receiving His inspira¬ 
tion as to how best to employ our time, being quick 
and careful in doing His bidding. 

The lawyer who acknowledges himself beaten before 
he comes into court is a pretty poor investment for his 
client, even though his case presents much of merit. 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


49 


Likewise when we go out mentally anticipating and 
looking for trouble, we may be pretty sure of finding 
just what we are looking for, rather than to be pleas¬ 
antly surprised by the reverse conditions. 

Simply and honestly accepting the promises of the 
Gospel at their face value, will prove a superstruc¬ 
ture upon which any of us may build a wholly satis¬ 
factory Life. 

As a working hypothesis, looking toward the attain¬ 
ment of “All things, whatsoever ye desire,” this Gos¬ 
pel has no equal; and any time we fail in obtaining 
the desired good thing, we may be assured that it is in 
no manner the fault of His Law; but that rather our 
plans have miscarried because of a lack of diligence, 
or some other error, on our own part. The failure is 
but the natural effect of which our error or lack of 
understanding is the cause. 

It would be impossible to obtain a stronger and 
cleaner title deed to “Whatsoever we desire,” than our 
Father has given us. Let us accept that splendid in¬ 
heritance, and busy ourselves constantly in proving 
our worthiness as His representatives here in His vine¬ 
yard of the earth. 

How shall we do this? By living so honestly and 
earnestly in accord with the spirit of His Law, that 
the Great Universal Consciousness will know that His 
Word means more to us than merely a beautiful theory 
or allegory; read, it may be from a sense of duty, but 
made of small account in our habits of living. 

Year after year people flock to teachers, asking a 
solution of many of life’s problems, and when asked 
if they have “put these problems up to God” they all 



50 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


with one accord, as a rule, “begin to make excuse.” 

This indicates that we have not so greatly changed 
in the past two thousand years. 

A few say they have applied to the great Source of 
Supply, but that no help came of the application; and 
all too frequently they admit, that they hardly ex¬ 
pected that help would be thus received, since their 
need “was material” rather than spiritual. 

“Good things,” they often term the so called 
spiritual, as though material things could not be good. 

Come with me to the Bible and read for yourself 
whether or not the Great All Mind specified that He 
could do nothing, if one were in material need; that 
His work was wholly spiritual. 

As a matter of fact, He did not bother much with 
adjectives when He was setting forth our inheritance. 

He said we were not to be troubled as to what we 
should eat, or what we should drink, or wherewithal we 
should be clothed; for that, if we would seek to live 
rightly, all our needs would be supplied in ample 
season and capacity. 

“And if ye ask anything, believing in me, I will do 
it,” He adds, as though to further reassure us of his 
interest and care over us. 

Why do we so readily, upon occasions of seeming 
stress, throw aside all these positive promises in favor 
of such assistance as we hope to obtain from our 
friends, or from some individual supposed to be a 
“wire puller,” “booster,” or some other variety of “hot 
air artist”? 

When attempting to prove the efficacy of our Fa¬ 
ther’s word, let us remember that lack of faith will 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


51 


always cause failure. Until we actively believe that 
God really is, and that He is the rewarder He has 
promised to be, these promises will prove as worthless 
to us as a guaranty of large and successful living, as 
would the note of a man who had gone bankrupt. 



Chapter IV 


“WHY ARE YE FEARFUL?” 

G OD hath not given us a spirit of fear, but of 
power and of love, and of a sound mind,” is 
one of the helpful thoughts of that practical teacher, 
Paul. Why, then, are so many of us in bondage; and 
from whence has come the fear habit, which seems to 
have dominion in so many lives? 

True, from childhood we are taught to fear things 
and conditions. The cold, the heat, the rain, the 
sun, a draft of fresh air, what the neighbors will 
think if they see us out in our old clothes, the harm¬ 
less animals—even clams in a month spelled without 
an “I?.” 

Quite well do I recall the shock I once received 
upon seeing in the window T of a fish market a sign 
which read: “Fresh clams R good, even in July.” 
Myself a user of “canned thought” at the time, I nat¬ 
urally wondered wffio w r ould be sufficiently courageous 
to dare eat a clam in a month without an “R” in it. 

Constantly w r e are receiving suggestions w T hich warn 
us to beware of a great variety of perfectly harmless 
things. Many of the magazines we read carry a large 
amount of advertising than which nothing could be 
more suggestively destructive. The newspapers ap¬ 
pear to begin where the magazines leave off, striving 

62 


WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


53 


to do well their part in keeping before the mind of 
man the constant danger of disease and death. 

They tell us very positively that one kind of feel¬ 
ing indicates Bright’s disease; and another kind of 
feeling is undeniable proof of Rigg’s disease; while if 
one has no feeling whatever he’s in greater danger than 
either of the others. And so they continue to as¬ 
siduously make copy—probably at so much per page, 
or day. But if an unsuspecting mind is allowed to 
feed on this kind of “literature,” with a degree of confi¬ 
dence, it soon accepts some of the suggestions, it 
may be unconsciously, and mentally begins to picture 
the conditions which are described. 

I knew a man who died of encyclopedia , although 
the certificate of decease blamed his death on angina 
pectoris. It was like this: The war temporarily 
spoiled his business and he became indolent and inac¬ 
tive. Naturally this thought crystallized in his body, 
and he didn’t feel as well physically as when he was 
hustling around and making a good living. 

Perusing a new set of encyclopedias one day for 
amusement, he came upon the words angina pectoris, 
and after reading about it with more or less attention, 
decided to have it. And he did. 

Such is the power of suggestion, if one is willing to 
accept “canned thought” rather than to think a little 
for himself. 

Here is a man that fears to eat a certain kind of 
food lest it cause illness; another fears to drink the 
water provided him for like reason. A third fears a 
draft of fresh air; the next fears venturing out in 
damp weather. One fears it will rain and so spoil his 



54 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


day. Another fears there will be no rain, and the 
crops will suffer, and so it goes hour after hour and 
day after day. 

And all these things and conditions are perfectly 
harmless in themselves, and entirely under our domin¬ 
ion, if we will only so understand. 

We do not need to reckon with any of them, nor 
should they be allowed to in the least influence our 
daily living. We are free children, laboring in our 
Father’s wonderful vineyard, and let us go about un¬ 
derstanding and enjoying that freedom to the full, as 
He intended we should do. 

When we really know the truth as Truth, none of 
these good servants, such as food, drink, clothes and 
similar conditions, will have any power over us what¬ 
ever ; but so long as we are willing to submit to slavery, 
we need not be surprised to find ourselves more or less in 
bondage to people, things or conditions. Freedom is 
ours, however, at any hour we determine to accept it. 

The suggestions of so-called pneumonia recently 
dealt out to me by a perfectly well meaning and kindly 
friend, who found me “breaking in” a stubborn pair 
of new shoes by filling them w r ith cold water for a 
few moments before putting them on, would have been 
quite alarming but for the fact that I do not take 
things that do not belong to me. And because of this, 
I left the pneumonia and the ancient ideas appended 
thereto alone, and gave my undivided attention to my 
own process of proving my dominion over the shoes, 
with perfectly satisfactory results. 

Another may try out my recipe, fearing or expect¬ 
ing pneumonia, and very likely in due season be able 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


55 


to say, as did Job, “The thing that I have feared 
has come upon me.” 

No more physical and mental effort is necessary in 
talking of health, happiness and prosperity, than in 
discussing conditions which bring to us only unhappi¬ 
ness and discouragement; and we shall find the former 
by far the best investment. Germs, microbes, dis-ease 
and disaster of every kind, will take unto themselves 
wings and fly away, when they find they are unwel¬ 
come and uninvited in our mental households. 

Thoughts are real things, and if we were aware of 
the amount of time and mind power wasted upon ideas 
of dis-ease, poverty, hatred, revenge, and worry of 
various kinds, which greatly dissipate the physical 
vitality, we would be amazed at the natural waste of 
man’s most precious substance—the power to create 
for himself whatsoever he might desire. 

Sometime and somewhere let us hope, all this de¬ 
structive thought will be turned into other channels, 
in order that it may not continue its destruction. 
The prodigal son became tired of eating husks with 
the swine. And so when the destructive thinkers have 
made themselves as miserable as it seems possible to do, 
by feeding the mind on the mere husks of knowledge, 
perhaps they too will decide that life has something 
better to offer, than a bare existence; and will begin 
the journey toward Father’s house of peace, power 
and plenty, where the door swings wide and a glad wel¬ 
come awaits every one of His children, regardless of 
how early or late the arrival. 

Just when our forefathers lost their faith in God, 
we do not know; but it seems pretty certain that they 




56 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


lost it, and it is only within the last few years that 
someone here and there, realizing that loss, has deter¬ 
mined to, in a way, investigate it. To discover, if 
you please, what will result if one take the promises 
offered in the Gospels at their face value. 

And what is the result? We find that upon each 
occasion when w T e really put our problems up to the 
Infinite, with the simple confidence that we feel when 
seeking the intervention of the so-called “wire-pullers,” 
we get results which are “Exceeding, abundantly 
above all that we ask or even think”; so accurate and 
unlimited is the Universal Law, when we have opened 
the way for Its legacy to flow into our lives. 

So long as we distrust the great Source of All Good, 
and fear to rely upon Its promises, we shall obtain 
little from Its wonderful supply, regardless of all It 
holds for us. 

It is believing, that opens the door to our Father’s 
store house; let us remember that—“And if ye ask any¬ 
thing, believing in Me, I will do it.” What can w T e 
desire more positive or generous than that? 

Right here, perhaps the chronic invalid is saying to 
himself that if another had been equally ill, weak, sore 
and discouraged, believing would soon be discovered 
to have little to do with the matter, pro or con. 

Let us not, however, overlook the fact that this 
theory rests wdiolly and entirely upon the word of Al¬ 
mighty God, as recited in the Scriptures; and that 
when honestly tested, nothing more practical or work¬ 
able has been found. That the Unseen Power which 
runs this universe, and constantly keeps even the 
tiniest star true to its course, is both able and will- 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


57 


ing to meet its obligations to each one of Its crea¬ 
tions, who can doubt? 

Changing illness to health, or poverty to prosperity, 
is not the difficult task some of us believe it to be. 
There is a simple and understandable process by which 
this seeming miracle may be performed. It will not 
be accomplished, let us remember, by thinking and 
talking about how much we have suffered, or how much 
we are likely to suffer. Nor will it help to blame our 
trouble on another. 

When we have decided to have health and satis¬ 
faction, no matter what the cost to ourselves, we shall 
care very little what has seemed to cause former ills; 
but rather we shall rejoice that all have worked to¬ 
gether for good, in determining us to seek for, and 
find the road to freedom; and soon “ale these things” 
will have been added unto us, as our elder Brother has 
promised. 

Let us “Judge not by appearances,” but begin at 
once to declare that we are perfect, as our Father is 
perfect, wffiich is true of the real part of us, the “I 
am,” as many of the writers have called it—the really 
Spirit part of us—and as fast as we impress this truth 
upon the inner mind, that mind will express it in us 
and our surroundings. 

Merely saying that we believe a certain thing is not 
sufficient; we must prove our faith, by our works be¬ 
fore we can gather faith’s harvest. The conditions in 
which we are today living speak eloquently of what we 
have thought, and in what we have had faith; for 
faith immediately begins to bear fruit, whether of the 
things we desire, or the things about which we worry. 



58 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


We really live the things in which we believe, it 
matters not what we say about it. Christ knew 
whereof He spoke, when He said “as thou believest, 
so it is unto thee.” We cannot feed the mind on 
thoughts of “I can’t,” and daily produce the satisfy¬ 
ing results of “I can.” Each one of us will do well 
to prove that declaration for him or herself, if we 
maintain the slightest doubt about it. 

To a great extent we invalidate our attempts at 
manifesting the things we desire by our mixed thoughts. 
The whole science of living, as life was intended to be 
lived, is so grandly simple that we quite miss the main 
issue; else we would cease our troubling, and focus the 
mental camera on each detail of living with perfect 
confidence in the outcome. 

Instead, we live largely in a state of uncertainty, 
constantly inquiring of ourselves what next we can do, 
if the great Universal Consciousness fails us, in per¬ 
forming the tasks we have put upon It? But It never 
does fail us; all seeming failure is but one more chance 
for us to improve all former efforts. The thing that we 
too often term failure, if pursued courageously but 
a few steps farther, would manifest as a greatly de¬ 
sired good. 

Another cause of seeming failure is that many times, 
in our inability to see the end from the beginning, as 
All Knowledge sees it, we close our circuit, or hang up 
the receiver, as it were, before inspiration is through 
with its message to us. It suggests that we do some 
certain thing, see some individual, or make some per¬ 
sonal effort, that on the instant seems to us to have 
nothing to do with the matter about which we seek as- 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


59 


sistance, and we fail to get the message. Or, if we do 
get it, begin to persuade ourselves that it has nothing 
to do with the matter in hand, and that one time will 
be as good as another in which to go on the errand. 

Prompt compliance with the command or suggestion 
would more often than not, bring us face to face with 
the answer to our problem. The ways of Infinite 
Mind are indeed “mysterious, and past finding out”; 
but until we fix this fact in mind, and make it a factor 
in the solution of our daily problems, we shall again 
and again seem to “Ask, and receive not.” 

That the desired aid we seek comes to us from the 
hand of our neighbor, almost as we make known our 
need, makes it no less an answer to our petition. All 
Power constantly works through what we call human, 
or material, agencies today, just as it did in Naaman’s 
time, when it directed him to wash seven times in the 
waters of the Jordan. 

Of course it was not the seven times of bathing, nor 
was it the water of the Jordan River, that was the cause 
of the healing. It was Naaman’s willingness to get 
out of his mind all former dislike and prejudices 
against doing just as he was told; and to be earnest in 
learning what he was to do , and perfectly accurate 
in the domg. 

When we have become familiar with the spirit of 
absolute obedience and without argument, rhyme or 
reason, begin doing what the Inner Spirit—the inspira¬ 
tion of the great All Mind tells us to do, success will 
seldom fail to crown our efforts. And when it does 
so appear to fail, it will be simply because we have 
limited ourselves to so much less than the Infinite has 



60 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


in store for us, that It allows the lesser to go by de¬ 
fault in order that the greater good may pour in upon 
us. 

That the Infinite uses one or more of His children 
as the bearers of the thing or condition we seek, by 
no means indicates that His arm is shortened. Man 
in the real, is God; since God is the Life within each 
one of us, thus making us one with Him, the Infinite 
spirit of All Good. 

When He operates through us, it is simply that He 
works through one of His outlets. He knows that there 
is no line where God stops and man begins. 

Rather, we are individual points of the one and 
only Mind. 

When we understand this aright, we cease expect¬ 
ing God to work supernaturally, since He is all and 
in all and whatsoever comes to us comes to God. 

If it seems other than good, it is merely that we 
misunderstand and judge the occurrence from the out¬ 
side, rather than to take time and thought and look 
within. 

It is as though we begged an earthly parent for a 
gem of great price as a gift. In due season a large 
package arrives, which looks from the outside as 
though it might be a peck of potatoes; and in our dis¬ 
appointment and chagrin, we toss it aside and refuse 
to accept it. 

Within is the gem; the outside appearance being 
intended first as a joke, and second as a sort of test 
of our “staying” qualities, or our real expectation 
of receiving a gem, regardless of how it arrived. 

And so the Infinite sees fit to test us, and thus to 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


61 


discover just what is our fitness for larger and yet 
larger responsibility in Its vineyard. But at all times 
He upholds us, with “the right hand of His right¬ 
ness,and if we will learn to trust Him and be un¬ 
afraid, soon all error will disappear out of our lives, 
and we shall know with that indisputable inner knowl¬ 
edge that nothing can harm or make us afraid. 

It is His good pleasure to “give us the Kingdom,” 
not after we have struggled through a mere existence 
here on this earth; but here and now. And He has 
willed to one quite the same good that He has willed 
to another. That one is rich in this world’s goods, 
and another poor: One ill and unhealthy, and another 
full of His health, is not because of His choosing. He 
is no respector of persons, and “he that trusteth 
Him, and worketh rightly, is accepted of Him,” al¬ 
ways at par value. 

Mostly we may thank ourselves for the condi¬ 
tions in which w r e are today living; and if not ourselves, 
then our forbears, for a man’s children too frequently 
suffer for his wrong ideas of living. But, in either 
instance, there is nothing to fear, and much for which 
to give thanks and rejoice. 

Our Father is always ready to give heed to our pe¬ 
titions, and if we will learn to ask aright we may rest 
assured of being heard and answered. 

“He that cometh to God, must believe that He is, 
and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently 
serve Him.” 

This really tells the whole story of asking and re¬ 
ceiving, and when we go to Him with that honest knowl¬ 
edge we shall each time receive, not alone the thing foi 



62 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


which we seek or ask, but the “Exceeding, abundantly 
more,” He has so graciously promised to each one of 
His earnest children. 

Too many of us do not Believe that He really is, 
and so our going to Him is more or less shrouded in 
mystery. 

We hope we have gained His attention, but even as 
we wait, we begin wondering what we can do next, to 
bring about the desired end. And thus do we shut out 
the light, which is ready and waiting, to light us even 
unto the perfect day, “Because of our unbelief.” 

Sooner will the vaulted blue above us fall, than that 
His Word shall ever default. 

Let us learn to be precise in obeying His Law. 
That is, let us see to it that we not only do all that is 
required of us, but that w T e do it just as the Law 
prescribes. 

When Naaman had bathed six times in the Jordan, 
his leprosy was not in any manner changed for the 
better, so far as he could understand. Had he at 
that point decided that inasmuch as no change had 
thus far come about, he was not likely to receive any 
benefit by going in again, simply because Elisha had 
told him so to do, and that it w 7 as not w'orth wdiile to 
bother any further with the matter, he doubtless would 
have returned to his home thinking there was no effi¬ 
cacy in seeking healing at God’s hands, whether the 
healing desired were physical or so-called spiritual. 

But he did precisely as he had been told to do; and 
when he came up out of the river the seventh time, 
he w r as every whit whole, his flesh having become like 
that of a little child. 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


63 


Of course the number of times he bathed really had 
nothing to do with his healing. His obedience to 
Elisha’s command, offered as the prophet of the Al- 
mighty, or All Power, proved beyond question his 
faith in the process he had sought; and that Faith 
was the substance from which came his health. 

Perhaps theology is to blame for the manner in 
which many of us distinguish between God and man as 
helpmeets, in that it tells us that God is a dispenser 
of “spiritual things”; but that if we are looking for 
material aid, meaning comfort and strength of body, 
and the successful operation of our business affairs, 
we will do well to look to man. 

We can, however, cease bothering as to whether it 
is the one or the other kind of help we need, and go 
about seeking the real Source of all aid; and we shall 
soon be satisfied that we have made a real start toward 
the desired goal. 

The great majority of us feel the need of so-called 
material assistance, before w r e do of spiritual; and un¬ 
til we understand that there is no place where a line 
is drawn, showing where God stops and man takes hold, 
we work upon our daily problems, at a great disad¬ 
vantage. 

The sure road to ale help, in brief to “all things, 
whatsoever we may desire,” is marked by this guide 
post: “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God (the all 
good), and His rightness, and all these (so-called 
material) things, shall be added unto you.” 

That promise needs no modification, and upon it 
we may under any and every circumstance, implicitly 
rely. 



64 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


Having tested it a few times for ourselves, regard¬ 
less of what the emergency, we shall be done worship¬ 
ping at the shrine of the persons, who advertise to 
carry aid plus; and w r ho would have us understand 
that even w r hen God fails, they are still “doing busi¬ 
ness as usual.” 

Life is neither a game of chance, luck or circum¬ 
stance; neither is it a straw to be blown hither and 
yon before the wind, without rule or reason, save to 
accommodate someone of reputed large influence. 

We attract to ourselves the things and conditions 
upon which we largely think, and no one, no matter 
how great his influence, can prevent our own from 
coming to us. 

Let us not, however, mistake our own to mean merely 
the things w r e wish were ours. “Our own” is quite as 
likely to be represented by the things w T e fear and 
dread. In fact, it refers to the things with which we 
mentally relate ourselves. The things we constantly 
think about, until we create them, and attract them 
into our lives. 

Paul understood this Law of mental relation when 
he advised that, regardless of what had occurred, 
whether it appeared to be good or otherwise, “If there 
be any virtue, and if there be any Praise,” we were to 
fix the thought upon those things, and give no heed 
to appearances to the contrary. 

Some of us have not yet gotten through with doubts 
and fears; but we can do so when we so determine; 
and we must do so before we shall become the healthy, 
happy and successful men and women our Father has 
made possible. 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


65 


If we choose to carry about with us a mental picture 
of physical, mental or material inharmony, to which 
we constantly call attention in our conversation, we 
can hardly expect the Great Inner Mind to at the same 
time be at work upon the reverse of these condi¬ 
tions. 

It must use the material with which it is supplied by 
the outer phase of mind, and can use no other. 

Suppose we do not see today, just how next week’s 
responsibilities are to be met? We do not need to 
see; and if we are using the Universal Law as our 
guide, we have this direction in which we may have 
perfect confidence. “Therefore take no thought for 
the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for 
the things of itself.” 

Let us apply our best endeavors to the business of 
today expecting that Infinite Knowledge will prepare 
us for future occasions, as preparation becomes neces¬ 
sary. Thus, as time naturally rolls around, and next 
week becomes today, we shall know exactly how to 
solve its problems, and shall be amply equipped to do 
so. 

Going into the future for matters about which to 
worry and fret, is not only useless, but it paralyzes 
much of our best energy, and so greatly impedes the 
business of today. It likewise attracts to us thought 
vibrations from others in similar troubled conditions, 
and thus greatly increases our seeming causes for 
discouragement and depression. 

Daniel, when cast into the den of lions, was with¬ 
out fear, and came out of that trying experience un¬ 
harmed. Had we Daniel’s faith, I doubt not that 



66 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


under all the conditions known to man we would be 
equally secure. 

“Fear thou not, for I am with thee,” should be ample 
protection for all of us; and were we to get the habit 
of quoting that sentence as quickly as we voice our 
fears (some of which we have gotten from the labels 
on patent medicine bottles), nothing could harm us 
or make us afraid. 



Chapter V 


FAITH THAT MOVES MOUNTAINS 

P AUL, writing to the Hebrews, says: “Now faith 
is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence 
of things not seen. 

“Through faith, we understand that the worlds were 
framed by the Word of God; so that things which are 
seen, were not made of things which do appear. 

“But without faith, it is impossible to please God: 
For he that cometh to God must believe that He is, 
and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek 
Him.” 

And then he goes on at some length, calling to their 
attention the things which had previously been accom¬ 
plished, by faith in God and His Word; ending with 
the exhortation, that they let brotherly love continue 
among them, and that in all ways they live so closely 
under cover of His Law, “That we may boldly say, 
The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man 
shall do unto me.” 

And James, seeming to begin about where Paul stops, 
says: “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith 
worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect 
work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting 
nothing.” 


67 


68 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


Then he goes on telling his people that if they lack 
wisdom, they may ask of God, “Who giveth to all, 
men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given 
him. 

“But,” and let us fix this important part of the mat¬ 
ter in mind, “let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. 
For he that wavereth, is like a wave of the sea, driven 
with the wind and tossed. 

“For let not that man think that he shall receive 
anything of the Lord. 

“A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.” 

We become double-minded men and women, wdien we 
beseech God to come to our aid, and immediately be¬ 
gin to worry lest He will not have heard us, or will not 
do for us the thing we have asked. 

A mental house, divided against itself, cannot stand, 
any more than can a material house which has be¬ 
come so divided. 

This division of the mental realm is probably more 
often the reason why our desires do not materialize 
than any other cause. 

Continuing, James says: “What doth it profit, my 
brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and hath 
not works? Can faith save him? Faith, if it hath 
not works , is dead. 

“By works , a man is justified, and not by faith only. 

“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith 
without Works, is dead also.” 

Where there is real faith there is sure to be works. 
The two can hardly be divided. The one may be called 
the cause of which the other is the effect; and as there 
is never a cause without an effect, or an effect without 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


69 


a cause, if we have one we are sure to have the other. 

Let us see what is the meaning of the word faith. 

The dictionary defines it as “A firm conviction of 
the truth, of something declared by another—without 
seeking further evidence—accepted on the ground of 
truth and veracity.” 

The theologians give the definition, as “The assent 
of the mind, or understanding, to the truth of what 
God has revealed; belief in the testimony of God, as 
contained in the Scriptures.” 

We all have faith in something or somebody. We 
could not live a day if we did not. But most of us 
have not the faith in God, and His Word, that moves 
mountains, else we would be constantly moving them, 
rather than sitting down perhaps more or less dis¬ 
couraged over life in general, and some of our daily 
needs in particular, and wondering if the moving moun¬ 
tain business is possible to any one. 

Y r es, friends, emphatically it is possible; and not 
only possible, but altogether probable to him who 
really believes God’s word. We can cease to ques¬ 
tion as to that; neither need we limit the size of the 
mountain to be removed. It matters little whether it 
be gigantic, or a mere molehill, so-called. It is all one 
to Universal Mind; and when we realize that that Mind 
is within us, and that because of this, we may individ¬ 
ually connect with all the power of the universe, we 
almost at once begin to generate power. 

“If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only 
do this, which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye 
shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be 
thou cast into the sea; it shall he done .” 




70 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


“And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask, in prayer, 
believing, ye shall receive.” 

If we will take the Universal Law 7 , promise upon 
promise, and truth upon truth, precisely and exactly 
as our Father has prescribed it, and mark our daily 
course of living in accord with it, just as we are obliged 
to do w r ith the man-made law, when we attempt to in¬ 
terpret it before an honest judge, we shall have “what¬ 
soever we ask for.” 

This does not mean that we will begin asking for 
anything which occurs to us, just to discover if the 
Law will work for us, upon any and every occasion; 
because that is against the Law, and not in accord 
with it at all. 

When we attempt to prove the truth of Truth, we 
shall make small headway, since it is only by works 
that “a man is justified,” and not by words only. 

Until we have real faith in God and His prom¬ 
ises, w r e shall not have the w r orks necessary for our 
justification. 

It means we shall ask for the things we are ready to 
use today, right where we are, for large and unselfish 
living. Large and selfless living will become our goal , 
and the habit of asking for things, things, things, and 
more things, will fade away and become of small inter¬ 
est to us. 

We shall constantly desire to bless our neighbor, 
as well as ourselves, which Christ tells us is near the 
whole Law. And our neighbor is not only the one who 
lives next door. But every man, woman and child with 
whom we come in touch, or into whose lives our living 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


71 


may shine, is “our neighbor,” according to the teaching 
of Universal Mind. 

So many people seem to misunderstand Christ’s 
promises altogether, and decide that since they cannot 
ask for a million dollars tonight, and go into the bank 
and have a demand for that amount honored tomorrow, 
it is useless to ask for anything, inasmuch as the Law, 
for some peculiar reason, discriminates against them. 

Of course nothing could be farther from the truth 
of the matter. Before anyone of us can ask for a 
million dollars “and shall not doubt in his heart, but 
shall believe that those things which he saith shall 
come to pass,” he or she must have earned the right to 
have it. That is, he or she must have established in 
the Infinite Mind, the need for a million dollars. A 
working knowledge, so to speak, of just what a million 
dollars is needed for, and what can be given to the 
world, in exchange for so much of its material good. 

That is the teaching of the Universal Law of supply 
and demand, and if anyone has told you differently, 
namely that your whole responsibility ends when you 
have ashed for said sum of money (or any other thing, 
for that matter), you have been led astray. There is 
a precise and particular manner in which we are told 
to co-operate with this Law. And we must co-oper¬ 
ate, before we can obtain its benefits. 

How shall we co-operate? 

Christ makes the way perfectly clear in His, 

“Therefore take no thought, saying, what shall we 
eat? or, what shall we drink? or, wherewithal shall we 
be clothed? 



72 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


“(For after all these things do the gentiles seek) ; 
for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need 
of all these things. 

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God , and His 
righteousness; and all these things (the so-called 
material things), shall be added unto you.” 

If a well defined need for a million dollars, for large 
and selfless living, came to any of us tomorrow—that 
is, if we knew, now, what we were waiting to do with 
every last penny of that million dollars, in the ad¬ 
vancement of Father’s kingdom, for His glory rather 
than for our own personal ease and satisfaction, I am 
sure that All Power could and would supply it. 

The promise, in which w r e may have absolute confi¬ 
dence, refers quite as much to a million dollars, as to 
a few pennies. 

It cannot be otherwise unless we limit His power, 
and decide that Christ was w r rong when He said that 
“With God, all things are possible.” 

The promise is, “If ye have Faith , ye may ask w r hat 
ye will, in my name believing, and it shall be done.” 

But let us remember that until we have Faith, we 
may make no absolute claim upon this or any of His 
promises. 

Faith is the substance, from which shall be 
created, our desired good. 

The reason that many of our prayers appear to 
receive little or no recognition with the Great Answer¬ 
ing Power, is that we ask for things that do not be¬ 
long to us. Things that we have not first earned the 
right to possess. Or, perhaps we are small and self- 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


73 


centered in our asking; we do not seek the good of all 
of Father’s family with whom we have to do, in accord 
with His Law that we are to love our neighbor as our¬ 
selves. 

Every need discovered by the eye of Faith in God, 
the All Good, will be amply supplied, by the great 
Source of Supply. And that too, even before we ask, 
in accord with Christ’s promise. But when we go to 
the Infinite full of fear, and doubt, and largely because 
we don’t know where else to go, we may be quite sure 
that we have failed in at least one point—that of 
trusting God and fearing nothing. 

Rushing to the Infinite when we fear that both ends 
are not going to meet, in material things, or when we 
anticipate that disaster is upon us, is not a satisfac¬ 
tory way of testing our Father’s love for us. Indeed, 
James indicates that obtaining help under such cir¬ 
cumstances is quite impossible. “Let not that one 
expect anything of the Lord,” he says. 

When we have real Faith in God, we do not 
apprehend trouble. 

We know within ourselves that nothing can harm 
us or make us afraid, for He has promised to contend 
with the one that contendeth with us, and we rest 
fearlessly on that promise, giving ourselves to the busi¬ 
ness in hand in His vineyard, with all the confident and 
kindly energy that is necessary in order to accomplish 
the desired result. 

Most of us make too hard work of trusting God, 
and believing His word. 

We want to be doing something all the time to ex- 




74 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


ercise our Faith; and think He ought to prove to us, 
instantly , that He has heard our asking, and that He 
will do for us the .thing we ask. 

Of course it is our business to prove our Faith, by 
waiting upon Him. His part is already done, and our 
faith will surely attract into sight the desired good. 

Misunderstanding this, we think if we could have an 
instantaneous answer to our asking today, it would be 
a simple matter to trust God, and leave our affairs un¬ 
reservedly in Elis hands. 

But as Paul said, “That which a man seeth, why 
doth he hope for?” 

The Faith that moves mountains, does not ask for 
visible proof. It is a plain, expectant and persistent 
belief in the power and ability of the Infinite, to ful¬ 
fill its promises, and take care, in a perfectly natural 
manner, of all Its obligations, as they need to be 
cared for. 

Out of such believing, or Faith, will be created 
and attracted into visibility, the thing or condition 
sought. And not alone that, but the “exceeding, abun¬ 
dantly above all that we can Ask or even think,” so 
much greater is the understanding of the all mind 
than can be any of its individual parts or points. 

Christ knew 7 the multiphdng pow 7 er of this Law of 
believing or trusting so well, that His w r hole system 
of teaching was based upon it. “Go thy way, be¬ 
lieving, and as thou believest, SO it is, unto thee,” 
w r as a part of Elis constant instruction. 

To one and all He said, “have faith in god,” not 
for some things—the healing of a pin scratch, or the 
materialization of a few pennies; but for all things, 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


75 


regardless of how great or how small; even to the vic¬ 
tory over so-called physical death. 

In all Elis wonderful works, we may note that He 
needed no other re-enforcements. 

And then to us He leaves the message: “The works 
that I do, shall ye do also; and greater works than 
these shall ye do.” 

Even at the time when Martha was sure He had 
arrived too late to be of service to her brother, Lazarus, 
He said if she would only believe in the power of the 
Infinite, she should see that power restore her brother 
to life. 

He knew that Lazarus would soon be himself again, 
because Universal Consciousness (the God Power 
within him), had so decreed; and He desired that His 
Father should be glorified in Him. 

He understood that all power had worked through 
Him, to will and to do its good pleasure; and it was 
not necessary that He hasten to save Lazarus. 

Lazarus was saved from death, and w T ould arise in 
His Father’s good time; and it was with this 
consciousness that He said: 

“Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard me. 
And I know that Thou hearest me always: But be¬ 
cause of the people which stand by I said it, that they 
may believe that Thou hast sent me.” 

That He could ask what He would, and it would be 
done, He was sure. 

But the people were not so full of confidence, and 
He desired to assure them, in order that His Father 
should be glorified. 

Never was He unmindful of gratitude, or forget- 



76 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


ful of His real mission. Having asked that Lazarus 
be restored to health and life, He did not continue to 
importune the Great Source of all Knowledge, as to 
how or when the seeming miracle should be performed. 
But began at once to give thanks that He was heard 
and answered. 

He well knew the reliability of the Law of Life with 
which He was operating; and the promise “before they 
call, I will answer,” meant to Him just what it ought 
to mean to each of us. 

The good thing He sought, which had brought him 
to Bethany, was accomplished, and having first re¬ 
turned His grateful thanks to the Giver of “every good 
and perfect gift,” He turned about in a perfectly 
natural and confident manner, and called to his friend 
Lazarus to come forth. 

Very likely much the same as He would have 
done had Lazarus merely gone into another room. 
“Lazarus, come forth.” 

And Lazarus arose and came out of the tomb, bound 
hand and foot, just as he had been carried in, but quite 
as much alive as ever. 

When we carefully follow in the footsteps of our 
great example, the works that He did, we shall do, 
likewise. 

But without faith, it is impossible to perform even 
lesser miracles than that of restoring Lazarus to his 
family. 

Study for a moment the positive manner in which 
He worked. He did not attempt to examine each case 
of dis-ease that was brought to Him for healing, 
and give to it some non-understandable title, which 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


77 


should stamp Him as a remarkable diagnostician, as 
well as to frighten the dis-ordered one, into seeming as 
badly off as the name sounded. 

He did not examine or diagnose any of them. Of 
those who came seeking help, He asked few questions, 
and recommended no course of treatment. 

His work was plainly the evidence of things not seen. 
Sometimes His formula was “Thy Faith hath made 
thee whole.” Again, “Thy sins be forgiven thee. Go 
thy way and sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon 
thee.” 

Quite as frequently, His word went forth by the 
simple understanding, “Go thy way, and as thou be- 
lievest, so it is unto thee.” 

Upon one occasion, when the disciples had failed 
to heal a case, they inquired of Christ why they had 
failed, and why he had succeeded so easily with the 
healing. 

Did He ask how they had proceeded? What they 
had done, or left undone? Nothing of the kind. It 
was unnecessary. We knew there could be but one 
reason for their failure—that of a lack of faith. 

“For,” said He, “if ye have Faith, as a grain of 
mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, re¬ 
move hence to yonder place, and it shall remove, and 
nothing shall be impossible unto you.” 

This particular case of the child, was one into which 
He made some inquiry before speaking the word of 
perfection, which was to bring into evidence the cure. 

Meeting the parent of the child who was in distress, 
Christ asked how long it had been in that condition, 




78 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


evidently desiring to give the man an opportunity to 
state his needs. 

Declaring that the child had been thus from child¬ 
hood, the father cried out in despair, ‘‘But, if Thou 
canst do anything, have compassion on us and help 
us.” 

Just in this little call for help, Christ noted the 
man’s lack of faith, and knew that that must be cor¬ 
rected before anything could rightly be asked of the 
Father. Hence His answer: 

“If thou canst believe: all things are possible 
to him that believeth.” 

The man was in earnest. Ready to do anything that 
Christ told him to do, and he recognized his failure 
as soon as it was called to his attention, crying “Lord 
I believe; help Thou mine unbelief.” 

The child was healed from that hour. 

Let us take heed that Christ did not tell the father 
to bring him again the next day, and that it would 
take some time to cure so stubborn a case, or that 
he must do this or that, and be patient in awaiting 
signs of improvement. Nothing of the sort. 

He was healed right then and there, and left the 
presence of the Master, every whit whole. 

But until the father’s faith had been established, 
Christ made no effort to persuade him to trust the 
Infinite. 

The trusting must be voluntary on our part, if 
we would earn the right to receive. 

Then, it is not at all a matter of what the dis-ease, 
or conditions for which we seek healing. Technicali- 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


79 


ties do not enter into the case. Nor does it make the 
slightest difference how we have been directed to desig¬ 
nate our trouble. Neither is it of any importance 
how long our troubles have been with us, or how severe 
they may appear in themselves. 

When we recognize the healing Power within our¬ 
selves, believing actively that it is equal to any emer¬ 
gency, and so expecting the help for which we seek, 
the healing at once takes place. It is always 
“According to thy Faith be it unto thee.” 

The Scripture does not tell us that “With God,” 
some thing are possible, while others are out of the 
question, and need not be expected. 

On the contrary, it tells us that under certain condi¬ 
tions, w r e may expect to receive anything for which 
w r e ask. 

What are those certain conditions? “And if ye ask 

ANYTHING, BELIEVING in ME, it SHALL be done.” 

When we have taken the trouble to learn how to ask 
aright. He works through us constantly to will and 
to do His good pleasure, which is to give to each one 
of His children the all and more than all, He has 
promised. 

The healing of all our dis-eases, be they physical, 
mental or material, is done by the same Infinite Power, 
and in precisely the same manner. 

It takes no more of His Power to heal or cure so- 
called tuberculosis, than to heal a pin scratch. It is 
not a matter of attracting to ourselves sufficient 
power for a designated purpose. 

It is a simple matter of believing. Of having clear, 



80 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


firm and simple faith in God, as being willing and 
able to do for us, what He has agreed to do. Nothing 
more. 

“He that cometh to God, must believe that He is, 
and that He IS a rewarder of them that diligently 
seek Him.” 

Until we have such Faith, we are in the same posi¬ 
tion as was the man who was crying out, “If thou 
canst do anything, have compassion on us.” 

That is insufficient for accomplishment, as we have 
seen. 

Infinite Spirit must have the right of way with us 
at all times. 

That it needs a more excellent faith to heal tuber¬ 
culosis than to heal a pin scratch, most of us will 
admit. This is where we too frequently come short, 
mistaking our lack of Faith, for God’s unwillingness, 
or inability, to hear and answer our petition. 

Faith is the substance from which healing pro¬ 
ceeds. Until we “have Faith, and doubt not,” our 
progress will of necessity be slow, in expressing the 
completeness we desire to manifest; which completeness 
we are, if we will only so understand. 

When 'physically out of order ( dis-eased ) let us 
remember that God , the all good, Created all that 
really is, and when He had finished pronounced all 
He had made as good. If, therefore we have any¬ 
thing in ourselves, or our lives, that • seems other than 
good, he did not create it. And because of this , 
it has no reality in truth, being but the absence of 
the good that is ours. 

It matters not by what technical name the medical 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


81 


school may christen our dis-ease, if we will know the 
truth in relation to its reality, and then fearlessly 
and faithfully live that Truth, in everything we 
do and say, the inharmony or dis-order, will fade out 
of our lives just as darkness fades away before the 
rising sun. 

When man believes in health, happiness and pros¬ 
perity as the correct and normal conditions of Life, 
and determines to accept nothing less, it won’t matter 
very much whether radium is half a million dollars 
an ounce, or forty cents. 

He will realize that within himself, is a power far 
and away more capable and available for his needs than 
are all outside forces combined, and he will learn to 
call upon that Power with perfect confidence, knowing 
that even before he calls his need has been anticipated 
and fully supplied. 

“And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, 
believing, ye shall receive.” 



Chapter VI 


KEEPING THE LAW 

| ^OR whosoever shall keep the whole Law r , and yet 
offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” 

No, that is not unfair. We cannot keep the whole 
Law and offend in one point. We shall either respect 
the Law, and live as closely in accord with it, as our 
Understanding makes possible; or, we shall think it 
of minor importance and shall give little regard to 
it, becoming more or less a “law T unto ourselves.” 

When we decide to make His word our Law of liv¬ 
ing, studying it becomes a delight, while enthusiasm to 
live as it recommends grows constantly. 

Knowledge of the Universal Law is sure to create 
love for it, and then “If ye know these things, happy 
are ye if ye do them.” 

Knowing and living His Law of rightness, is the 
open road to satisfaction —a road any one of us may 
begin to travel this moment, if we so determine; and 
He tells us that “He who seeks, shall find.” 

If we are not at present manifesting such things and 
conditions as we desire, it is because we are not “keep¬ 
ing the whole Law,” and so have not proven our title 
to the rich inheritance which is ours as children of the 
Creator and Giver of every good thing. 

That it is easy to stumble in our daily walk toward 

82 


WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


83 


freedom, most of us have discovered. We may even 
be punctilious in keeping His Law in one particular, 
and altogether lax or wrong in another. 

James makes it plain, thusly: “For He that said 
do not commit adultery, said also, do not kill. Now, 
if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art 
become a transgressor of the Law.” 

So that, having our sails trimmed ever so well along 
one line, and a trifle slack in another, will cause us 
to come short of the reward. 

This is why it is necessary, to know and live the 
whole Law, rather than to fall into error for lack of 
knowledge, which shall imperil our freedom. 

In addition to all that the Infinite has done, and 
is constantly doing for us, there is much that we must 
do for ourselves; and while with it, all things are 
possible, it has not made of us automatons in order 
that its plans shall work out through us, to its glory. 

It has designed that we, too, may be glorified, if 
we will, and that we may help to glorify it, in our 
bodies and affairs. 

Only our lack of faith prevents our taking advan¬ 
tage of this wonderful legacy of dominion over any 
and every thing with which we need to deal. 

Many of us are not unlike the rich young man who 
went to Christ inquiring what he might do in order 
to inherit the Kingdom. When told to keep the whole 
Law, he felt sure that was not the answer to his prob¬ 
lem. “all these things have I kept from my youth 
up,” he declared. 

But this only meant that he had more or less of 
knowledge of this Law, which knowledge he had lived 



84 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


as best suited his convenience; as Christ proved to 
him, when he directed him to sell all he had, and give 
the money to those who were needy. 

This was not what he wanted at all; he wanted to 
go on living just about as he had been doing, save 
with the assurance that eventually he should inherit 
Eternal Life, without losing control of his wealth and 
influence. 

Thus he was failing in at least the one point that 
would cause trouble eventually. And apparently he 
realized it, and thought he could get some sort of 
prescription from the Master, that would make his 
wrong, appear to be right. 

It is precisely the same w r ith us many times, when 
we seek an affirmation for right living. Perhaps for 
half an hour we steadfastly affirm that all is good, 
only to arise and begin fervently discussing evil as 
a reality, thus proving where is our active faith. 

The greatest need of the world today is to know 
the truth, and to so know it, that living it becomes 
our first business. 

Mostly our knowledge of Truth is so superficial that 
it profits us little, as a working hypothesis for the 
solution of Life’s daily problems. 

In fact, it is not always truth we appear to be seek¬ 
ing, but something else that is “just as good,” or, we 
hope, better. 

What, suppose you, would have been the result had 
Christ told the rich young ruler to go away, saying 
to himself a hundred times daily, “day by day in every 
way, I am getting nearer Eternal Life”? 

Doubtless that might have suited the young man 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


85 


better than the prescription Christ gave him. But 
would it have gotten him anywhere, so far as Infinite 
Knowledge was concerned? And Faith without works, 
is just as dead today as it was in those times. 

“Search the Scriptures,” said our elder Brother, 
“for in them ye think ye have Eternal Life: And 
they are they which testify of me.” 

When we realize, as did Peter and John, that there 
is no other name or law, under heaven, given among 
men, whereby we may ask whatsoever we will, with 
perfect confidence of receiving not only the good 
for which we ask, but “Exceeding, abundantly above” 
all that the humanly directed mental realm can ask or 
even think, this realization will send us to the Law 
with all determination to discover all that it contains 
for us. 

Until we feel this inner urge, we have not acquired 
that active faith, which will remove from Life’s path¬ 
way every mountain or obstacle of which humanity 
can conceive. 

Merely acquiring knowledge will not be of great 
use to us in demonstrating a life of mastery over all 
conditions with which we are called to deal. 

Neither will the repetition of affirmations, accom¬ 
plish much for us, until we really believe the words 
we utter; and confidently live, or act out, that 
belief, quite as much when the tongue is silent as 
otherwise. 

knowing and doing must travel hand in hand before 
we shall achieve the seeming unusual things over which 
our Father has given us dominion, if we will only 
take time to discover how t*o exercise it. 



86 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


We would hardly attempt to discuss the world’s 
news, with any degree of intelligence, as such news is 
presented in our newspapers, until we had read such 
papers with sufficient attention and understanding 
to at least learn how the stories were told. And in¬ 
asmuch as the universal story, which presents to us our 
specifications for successful living, is of so much 
greater importance, and perhaps more difficult of com¬ 
prehension, it would seem wise to bring to the task of 
examining it more of decisive ability to “know these 
things”; whereupon He tells us, that we shall be happy 
if we do them. 

That our days are full of so-called material or 
visible things, which seem almost to clamor for atten¬ 
tion, is true; and if we give to these things dominion 
over us, little time will remain which can be devoted 
uninterruptedly to the pursuit of knowledge as to un¬ 
seen or invisible things, which are the really im¬ 
portant matters for our consideration. 

It is by acquainting ourselves familiarly with the 
Unseen things—the substance of things hoped for, 
as it were, that we learn to create and attract into 
our lives the material or physical things and condi¬ 
tions for which we have use; and that, without any 
excitement or uncertainty whatever. 

Paul taught a valuable lesson in his “While we look 
not at the things which are seen, but at the things 
which are not seen. For the things which are seen 
are temporal; but the things which are not seen, are 

ETERNAL.” 

We need to realize that lasting sense of values which 
will dispose of much of the rubbish with which we clut- 




WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


87 


ter our daily lives, leaving us with ample time and op¬ 
portunity in which to be still, and think on His word. 

Then we daily begin to grow in the knowledge and 
love of good, constantly attracting more and more of 
the good into visibility around us. 

It matters not how much, or how impossible, our 
seeking. 

If we Ask ARIGHT, we SHALL receive. 

But, until we are familiar with His Law, and set 
ourselves steadfastly to abide by it, it will be of small 
account in providing us with even the necessities for 
daily living. 

So long as we allow ourselves to be so busy with 
affairs of the day that we have no time to acquaint 
ourselves with the Law upon which each day depends, 
we shall very likely find it necessary to earn whatso¬ 
ever we obtain, by “the sweat of the brow,” rather 
than by the more admirable adaptation of the Uni¬ 
versal Law of attraction. 

Incessantly laboring or striving from dawn till dark 
merely to “make a living,” is by no means necessary 
nor is it a part of our Father’s plan for any of His 
children, else why does He say: 

“Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, 
or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what 
ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and 
the body than raiment? 

“Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, 
neither do they reap, nor garner into barns; yet your 
heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much bet¬ 
ter than they?” 

And then He issues the formula that will earn for * 



88 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


us every comfort Life offers to its children, if we will 
familiarize ourselves with its operation. 

“Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His right¬ 
eousness; and all these things (whatsoever is necessary 
for our daily business of living) shall be added unto 
you.” 

When we accept these sayings at their face value, 
we are done scheming, planning and worrying as to 
how to make “both ends meet.” They not only meet, 
but there begins to be a surplus which we greatly 
enjoy dividing with our neighbors, who, perhaps, have 
not yet seen so much of the light. 

The conscious knowledge that we really are chil¬ 
dren of Infinite Spirit, and heirs of all that is, almost 
at once works a wonderful change in us. We feel 
the smallness and unworthiness of seeking and striv¬ 
ing constantly for “things”; and the largeness and 
freedom of selflessly waiting upon Him, knowing that 
He has done all things well for us, if we will only 

BELIEVE. 

Thomas has come down across the ages as the 
doubter; and as we read of his association with Christ, 
it seems rather strange that he should have been so 
determinedly obstinate in his declaration that unless 
he should see in His hands the print of the nails, and 
put his finger into the prints, and thrust his hand 
into His side, he would not believe. 

But many of us are not much different than was 
Thomas. “How can I say I have obtained the help 
for which I have asked, when I can see nothing of a 
change? Or, How can I declare I am healed when I 
feel no differently than before I asked for healing?” 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


89 


That is precisely and exactly the Thomas attitude. 
‘‘I’ll take nothing on anyone’s say-so—not even God’s. 
I must see it with these physical eyes or feel it with 
these physical hands, before I will believe that I have 
received the things or condition for which I have asked. 

Suppose some one had hailed Thomas and inquired if 
he had heard of the scandal in his neighbor’s house¬ 
hold? how his wife had gone off with some other man, 
and all about what Tom, Dick and Harry were say¬ 
ing about it? 

Very likely Thomas would have been as tractable in 
listening to this story, and would not have thought it 
at all necessary to go and see for himself if she were 
really gone, before he passed it along to the next 
man or woman he met. 

Nor are we altogether unlike Thomas in this partic¬ 
ular. We are perfectly willing to take a lot of this 
kind of information on trust. But of the Absolute 
Truth, we are likely to act, if not say: “You must 
show me before I shall accept that and attempt to 
live in accord with it.” 

Health, happiness and prosperity are ours for the 
taking, and we fear to step out on what we think 
is “thin ice,” to take them. 

But in every instance, when we step out on seeming 
void, with our faith fixed on His word of promise, 
we shall find the solid rock of the law, ready at all 
times to uphold us, with the strong arm of its 

RIGHTNESS. 

The direct road to obtaining “all that you can ask 
or even think,” is to Seek first the things that are 
right; such things as are “lovely and of good report.” 



90 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


To believe in the good to such extent that we ex¬ 
pect only good to come to us; and then mentally to 
reach out for the things we are ready to use, know¬ 
ing that they have been provided for us by the great 
source of supply, and are ours as fast as we relate 
ourselves to them. 

Let us not make the mistake of sitting down pas¬ 
sively and expecting our needs to be met while we wait. 
Passive faith may be better than none, but its action 
is slow, if it acts at all. 

Having made known our need, let us be “up and do¬ 
ing” whatsoever our hands find to do; and let us do it 
joyously that the Infinite may know we deserve, and 
will make competent use of, more and more of Its 
benefits. 

“Believe that ye Receive, and ye shall have,” 
He says. When we meet our part of that contract, 
we cannot help feeling joyous and full of energy, 
which it is a delight to express in any kind of work 
that comes to hand. 

Until we believe, our asking amounts to very little; 
and our inaction, waiting for Father to do for us the 
things we do not like to do ourselves , is really very 
harmful; in that, we are likely to blame the Law, for 
what is simply a lack of ambition on our own part. 

We must prove our Faith, not in words, but in 
works. By doing the things He has made a part of 
our business to do; all the while listening for His 
inspiration or impulse, which will indicate to us what 
is the next step. 

He tells us that we are to love God with all our 
hearts, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


91 


That we are to forgive all misdemeanors against us, 
and drop them out of the mind for all time. 

That we are to live clean, honest and kindly lives 
here among our fellows; and that we shall do all and 
every other thing which occurs to us, as we go about 
the day’s work, as will become our Royal Ancestor. 

Theology has given us a wrong idea of the business 
of living. 

That trials, troubles and tribulations fit us for the 
life to come; and that death must be regarded as the 
open road to eternal life, is all a mistake. 

There is a much more attractive thoroughfare lead¬ 
ing to eternity, although many people will refuse to 
believe it and will continue to declare that we must 
“patiently bear the cross here,” if we would “triumph¬ 
antly wear the crown” over yonder. 

Heaven is a state of mind, and the cross and crown 
are .mere symbols of strength of character and its 
right reward. 

We might as well be enjoying Heaven here upon the 
earth as pushing it away from us mentally as some¬ 
thing which can only be realized in the “sweet bye- 
and-bye,” when we have finished life here and crossed 
to the great beyond. 

Even then, theology suggests that there is another 
place some of us may need to go, if our attainments on 
this plane have averaged somewhat under par. 

It will be well for each one of us to settle these mat¬ 
ters for ourselves, mentally, and then daily determine 
to live the things we believe to be in accord with His 
Law of TRUTH. 

It is neither lack of time nor opportunity that 



92 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


prevents our knowing what is truth, and living in 
accord with that knowledge. 

We find time for the things we really want to do. 
And when we really desire to know what is Truth, in 
order that we may shape our lives in accord with what 
it prescribes, we shall find plenty of time for investigat¬ 
ing the things of which Paul tells us faith is the 
evidence. 

Many of us can with much profit to ourselves take 
our mental hands off several of the things to which we 
are devoting time and energy, which in Father’s plan of 
living are of practically no value whatever. 

A like amount of time and energy applied to discover¬ 
ing how we may best invest our talents, as workers in 
His vineyard, will net us a wonderful return in that we 
we shall soon realize that the “things” and conditions 
for which we have so long striven, and over which we 
have been unhappy, are daily being added unto us 
seemingly with little effort on our part. 

The truth will make us free, if we will only be 
earnest and honest in searching for it. It is because, 
like the rich young ruler, we want to search for it in 
our own way, that we fail to arrive at the freedom, 
our Father longs to see each one of His children enjoy. 

A lady claiming to be very desirous of studying 
truth, planned to attend a course of Lectures on 
Bible study declaring in advance that she would not 
miss one of them, because of the help she desired in the 
solution of her Life problem. 

“But,” said she, “how little I realized the irony of 
fate. I had to miss the first lecture because of being 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


93 


invited out to tea, and feeling that it would be improper 
to leave immediately after. 

“The second night, I vowed that even wild horses 
should not keep me away from the lecture. And then 
a friend came and begged of me to go to a picture 
show. I don’t care anything about the ‘movies’, but 
I didn’t think it wise to refuse, lest she would not ask 
me to go with her again. I had much rather have gone 
to the lecture, had it been possible.” 

That she was interested in the truth, as presented 
by the lecture, she attempted to prove, by stating that 
she intended to invite the lecturer to visit her, when 
convenient, and recite so much of the lectures for her 
especial benefit, as she was willing to do. 

She concluded by hoping her luck would some day 
change , and that she might be able to do the things she 
wanted to do, rather than to be obliged to hold herself 
at the beck and call of her friends. 

Of course her luck will change, when she determines 
to change it, and it can hardly change before then. 
“Circumstances over which we have no control,” is 
mostly a play of words, used as a matter of convenience, 
to which is given much more of importance than is their 
due. 

Waiting for “things to turn up,” means slow 
progress along the road to freedom. A better way is 
to ask for such help as we need, and then go out with 
perfect assurance, and turn things up. 

Infinite Spirit is alw'ays with us, ready and willing to 
establish our decrees. But if we decree to go to the 
“movies,” it cannot establish us at some more profit- 



94 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


able place, without first reconstructing much of the 
Universal Law; since it has allowed us to make our own 
choice as to what we will do with the twenty-four hours 
of each day. 

“Choose ye this day, whom ye will serve,” puts the 
matter up to us; and having made the choice, we must 
accept the harvest naturally coming from that choice 
and from no other. 

This does not mean that we may not change our 
choice, when w 7 e are satisfied that it is not bringing to 
us the things that make Life really w r orth while. But 
it is well to remember that we can not serve two 
masters. Either we shall be indifferent to the one, and 
enthusiastic about the other; or, as our Great Teacher 
has said, we shall “hold to the one, and despise the 
other.” 

Which, interpreted, means that it is difficult to 
study truth intelligently, and go to the “movies” at 
one and the same time. 

The Master says, the truth shall make us free. 
He does not so highly recommend the “movies.” So 
perhaps, if we really desire freedom in the matter of 
living, w r e would do well to choose in favor of his 
Knowledge and Understanding; leaving the “movies” to 
occupy such time, as is not needed for the more 
important operations, which knit together to make up 
Life’s business here on the earth. 

That some of us seem to carry heavier burdens than 
others, is not the fault of the Law. Likewise, it may 
not be our fault. In the record, we read of a man who 
was born blind, and upon seeing him, the disciples 
straightway inquired: 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


95 


“Master, who did sin, this man or his parents, that 
he was born blind.” 

And Christ, always ready to give credit when it was 
possible, replied: 

“Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: 
But that the works of God should be made manifest in 
him.” 

He thereupon healed the man of his infirmity, and 
sent him away every whit whole. 

When we are willing to cast aside the old ideas which 
paralyze both physical and mental energy, and step 
out on the solid rock of faith in good, realizing that 
He is both willing and able to do for us whatsoever we 
desire, we shall also be healed of all our iniquities, 
and made physically, mentally and materially whole. 

“All things are possible to him that believeth.” 

Let us get to believing that, first of all. And then 
let us go farther than merely to believe that Christ was 
a wonderfully gifted character, around whom the New 
Testament history is wrapped. 

Let us believe, and earnestly live, the Universal 
Law He came to demonstrate. 

When we do this, we shall be able to meet each day 
with a smile of confidence and satisfaction. And we 
shall be able to say to that mountain, that today seems 
to loom large in our lives, “Be thou removed, and be 
cast into the sea, (out and away from us forever), and 

it SHALL BE DONE.” 



Chapter VII 


SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING 

W ISDOM is the principal thing, therefore get 
Wisdom,” wrote Solomon in the Proverbs. 
And then he adds, apparently seeing that wisdom in 
itself was not all sufficient, “But, with all thy getting, 
get UNDERSTANDING.” 

If we read the early history of Solomon, we shall see 
that as large responsibilities came to him he determined 
to meet them in the only right way, that of adding to 
his visible knowledge the inspiration of the Infinite 
which should quicken his understanding and help him 
to see with the eye of faith, as he was habitually seeing 
at that time with the physical eye. 

Having been made ruler of a Kingdom, and desiring 
to exercise his authority in such manner as should be 
perfectly fair and just to his people, he did not begin to 
inquire of other men of authority what in their opinion, 
he had better do. Rather he went direct to the 
source of all Knowledge, and the following is the 
important thing for which the record tells us he asked, 
when given an opportunity to ask for whatsoever he 
desired. 

“Give, therefore, Thy servant an understanding 
heart to judge Thy people, that I may discern between 
good and bad.” 


96 


WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


97 


“And this speech pleased the Lord, and God said 
unto him: Because thou hast asked this thing, and 
hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked 
riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine 
enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to 
discern judgment: 

“Behold, I have done according to thy words: I 
have given thee a wise and understanding heart; so that 
there was none like thee before thee, neither after 
thee shall any arise like unto thee.” 

And then in accord with the good measure He 
promises to each of His faithful children, He added: 

“And I have also given thee that which thou hast not 
asked, both riches and honor; so that there shall not be 
any among the Kings like unto thee all thy days.” 

Solomon did not immediately begin to wonder if this 
could be true, and if God really would so favor him. 
Having asked for the thing he felt was most necessary 
to the successful operation of his stewardship, he seems 
to have felt sure of having been heard and answered, 
and with no apparent misgivings went about making 
use of the understanding he had sought. 

We only need to go back and read the history of his 
reign to realize how easily he was invariably able to 
arrive at quick and correct conclusions in the difficult 
problems it became his business to solve. 

In fact, he became so outstanding a figure in this 
particular as to be considered quite the personification 
of wisdom, to the extent that “As wise as Solomon” is 
accepted as being quite unimpeachable. 

Before passing on, let us take note that Solomon 
could have asked for all sorts of personal favors for 



98 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


himself when given the opportunity to choose whatso¬ 
ever he most desired—wealth, honor, long life, the 
complete changing of conditions in his kingdom, had he 
so wished. 

To these tilings he seems to have given no thought. 
His attention was fixed on the business of ruling his 
kingdom rightly for his people, as well as for himself. 
He didn’t wish to experiment with so important a task, 
or to subject his people to the errors that his in¬ 
experience might cause him to make. Neither did it 
occur to him to ask God to do the work for him. 

He seems to have been perfectly willing to undertake 
the work, his one idea being to do it to the glory of his 
Father, and the good of his people. Going directly to 
the source of all good with simple directness, he 
made known his need, and asked for the inner Under¬ 
standing that would allow him at all times to discern 
which was right and which was wrong. 

That this inner understanding was necessary, and 
that the Infinite operated through him as such under¬ 
standing, seems apparent as we read of the two women 
who came to Solomon claiming ownership of the same 
child. 

Only the inspiration of the Almighty could so quickly 
and accurately have directed him to a right solution of 
so important a problem. And it was a right solution 
in every instance, that he desired, that justice might be 
had by each individual in his care. 

One of the secrets of successful living is the ability 
to “Judge rightly,” rather than by appearances, or by 
so-called circumstantial evidence. 




WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


99 


When we arrive at that milestone of knowledge, we 
may assure ourselves of both a satisfying and lasting 
success. The “Giver of every good and perfect gift 
is the same, yesterday, today and forever”; and all He 
did for Solomon He is just as willing and able to do 
for each one of us, when we choose to serve him first 
and foremost above and over all things else. 

Are we longing to take possession of our inheritance 
under Father’s will? Then we should make with care 
all the necessary preparations, just as w r e would expect 
to do under the terms of a man-made will, where we 
were left a legacy of far less value. 

Who of us would expect to come into possession of 
a material inheritance until we had complied with the 
material law in every least particular? And yet we 
are so careless in our interpretation of the Universal 
Law r , where the legacy it bequeaths to us is a thousand 
fold more valuable than anything it is possible to 
inherit under the material or man-made law. 

Some of us are asking for, and receiving, the things 
and conditions we desire constantly. All of us may 
be doing so when we, as did Solomon, determine 
to live as largely as it is possible for us to do, rather 
than to live for ourselves and our chosen few. 

We are too much given to asking for things we really 
have small use for, but which we fancy it might be nice 
to have, perhaps because our neighbor has them, or be¬ 
cause w r e think it would make the matter of living eas¬ 
ier for us. 

Let us get the habit of thinking about the things 
for which we ask, ascertaining whether or not we really 



100 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


need them, and if we have earned the right to possess 
them. 

If we have not earned the right to have them—that 
is, if we have not given to the world something of equal 
value, for them, or if we are not prepared to so do, 
we are asking wrongly and little of good comes of such 
asking. It is the promiscuous asking for practically 
needless things, or things for which we are unprepared, 
and do not really expect to receive, that leads us to 
believe that our petitions are unheeded and that help 
from Infinite Spirit can hardly be obtained. 

When our asking appears to have been in vain, let 
us not be discouraged. It is not the fault of the an¬ 
swering Power. It is because we have fallen short in 
fulfilling the requirements of the Law. 

First, perhaps we have failed to inform ourselves 
as to what the Law is. 

Second, we may have failed to honestly and earnestly 
comply with it to the best of our ability. 

We may be asking for too many things, for many 
of which we have no immediate need. This will so mix 
or dissipate the thought, that it will have little cre¬ 
ative power with which to act upon the substance, 
from which we may attract whatsoever we will. 

Again, we may have so divided our house (our men¬ 
tal operation) against itself, that manifesting the thing 
we desire becomes but a matter of hope and fear; in 
which attitude of mind we need expect little help from 
the Law. “Let not that one expect anything of the 
Lord,” that one, referring to the one who fears to trust 
the good and fear nothing. 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


101 


Begging to be healed of various and sundry degrees 
of physical ill; to be made happy and harmonious; to 
have peace, power and plenty in place of strife, hard 
work and poverty, are some of the ways in which we 
waste our substance. 

All Power knows nothing of these conditions. It 
created all that really is, and having finished, 
pronounced it good and very good. 

Infinite Spirit can not change strife to love; nor can 
It lift us bodily, mentally or materially out of an in¬ 
harmonious condition of living, and place us on 
“flowery beds of ease.” This is why many public 
prayers most of us have heard covering this ground, 
and perhaps a good deal more, apparently accomplish 
nothing. 

Infinite Spirit will never fail in co-operating with 
us, in the doing, achieving and becoming, all that we 
really desire to do, achieve and become. 

It will not, however, do for us, anything that we 
can do for ourselves. 

Let us think on this, carefully and prayerfully, with 
the determination that this kind of asking amiss shall 
not be one of our Waterloos in the time to come; but 
that rather we will be diligent in seeking the inspira¬ 
tion, which will act as a never failing guide in all our 
affairs; not alone suggesting to us what to do, but 
how best to proceed in the doing. 

If you have been unable to manifest healing of “all 
your dis-eases,” it is only because you have failed in 
some direction in complying with Father’s Law. 

It matters little how fervently we seek, so long as we 



102 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


we are out of harmony with what is required of us. 

“Ye shall know the truth, and the Truth shall make 
you FREE.” 

This, then, is the starting point of ale healing, 
whether physical, mental or material. To know w r hat 
is truth, and then to observe Its requirements. 

It is a wonder that we so persistently misunderstand 
a Law that is so simple, and yet so wonderfully efficient 
in all its offers. 

This misunderstanding is the cause of which most of 
our failures in “living the Life,” are the effect. 

“Get Knowledge,” said Solomon, “but, with all thy 
getting, get understanding.” 

Better advice he could not have left for us. 

So good a choice the getting of Understanding had 
proven for him, that he has much to say of the excel¬ 
lency of his choosing, in his Proverbs. 

If it is physical healing we desire, let us ask that we 
be healed of the ill which is troubling us; and as we ask, 
let us believe that we are heard and answered, pre¬ 
cisely as our elder Brother said we should be. 

When we really believe that we have a thing or con¬ 
dition, w r e no longer continue seeking it, but w r e prepare 
to take possession of and enjoy our treasure. 

So long as we continue asking, we prove that we do 
not believe that we have received the good we seek, and 
our lack of confidence in our Father’s promise is all 
that is necessary to prevent the thing sought, from 
making its way into visibility. 

Suppose we have asked the Great Physician to heal 
us of so-called rheumatism, or any other medically 
labelled dis-easeP How shall we proceed thereafter? 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


103 


Shall we declare that we are healed, or that we hope 
to be at sometime in the near future? All the while 
wondering if He has heard us, and if so, if we shall re¬ 
ceive the healing for which we have asked? 

Let us first of all assure ourselves of exactly the 
proper status of the healing contract, for such is 
exactly what it is. 

“When ye Ask, believe that ye receive, and ye 

SHALL HAVE.” 

And again, and equally simple and positive, “And 
if ye ask anything, in my name, I will do it.” 

Now, let us declare that we are healed, and regard¬ 
less of whether or not we see the slightest difference in 
appearances, let us hold firmly to this declaration, and 
steadfastly expect the health desired, to express 
within us, as fast and as naturally as Nature’s house 
cleaning goes forward. 

Let us take care that we do not hold on to the so- 
called rheumatism by watching for “visible signs,” and 
constantly telling ourselves—if only mentally—that we 
see no change, and that we are not healed. 

“As a man thinketh, in his heart, so is he.” If we 
are thinking of the appearance of rheumatism, we are 
creating such appearance. 

It is just as easy and as natural to create health; 
but we can not do it by thinking of the reality of 
dis-ease. 

Looking for healing of any description from the 
outside will always be disappointing. All healing, 
whether physical, mental or material, begins in the 
mind. We feel it there first, and then it is only 
a matter of “Judge not by appearances; Judge 





104 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


rightly.” The appearances fade away seemingly of 
themselves, and the desired good comes forth in the 
body and affairs. 

So long as we fail to make the Universal Law a real 
Law unto ourselves, we have not earned the right to 
inherit anything under it. 

Healing cannot express in and through us, so long 
as we place our confidence in appearances, and declare 
no change is apparent. It 'will come to us almost 
immediately, when our Faith is equal to so believing. 

The really important thing about the matter of heal¬ 
ing, is not what man says or thinks , as to how the 
seeming miracle shall take place. It is what God has 
said; and until we decide to fearlessly step out on what 
perhaps to us, is seeming void, we shall hardly find 
ourselves standing securely upon the Solid Rock of 
faith in His Word; which faith will in every instance 
prove the substance of the thing or condition we seek. 

“Before ye call, I will answer,” means, that even 
before we have felt the need or desire for a thing, He 
has given it to us; and not only the thing for which 
we ask but “Exceeding, abundantly more than we can 
Ask, or even think.” This because our manner of 
understanding His bounty is so limited, and His love 
and care over us, His children, is so entirely without 
limit. 

Likewise in asking for the material things which go 
to make our service here in His vineyard a delight, let 
us learn to ask aright. That is, to ask expecting to 
be heard and answered. But this does not mean that 
we are to expect all power to do for us the tilings it 
has made possible for us to do for ourselves. 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


105 


We know what happens in the case of a child whose 
parents make life too easy for it. It lacks the experi¬ 
ence that can only come to us with doing, and with¬ 
out which, one must always be at more or less of 
disadvantage in Life’s great vineyard. 

Here is a man who desires a comfortable house in 
which to live. Will it be sufficient for him to ask for 
such a house, and then resignedly sit still until he is 
notified that it is his? Or, if such notification fails 
to reach him, to believe that it is the will of his Father 
that he shall not enjoy such comfort? 

It is not in accord with that substantial promise 
which tells us that “If ye have Faith as a grain of 
mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, remove 
hence to yonder place, and it shall remove, and 
nothing shall be impossible unto you.” 

If the man will proceed with his business of living, 
as honestly and earnestly as does the grain of mustard 
seed, he will in due season come into possession of the 
home he desires. 

The mustard seed, though tiny and insignificant when 
dropped into the earth, gives its best to the simple and 
natural matter of the moment—that of doing the thing 
that lies next, without a thought of worry or complaint 
because of its insignificance, or of the vastness of the 
task of breaking its shell and forcing its way up 
through the earth. 

Reaching out, it attracts to itself such elements as 
are necessary foi* its growth, day after day, until such 
time as it shows its tiny head above the ground. 

Does it then begin to complain because the oak tree 




106 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


is so much larger, stronger and able to cope with the 
elements ? 

Not a word of doubt or fear appears to be expressed 
in its progress. Rather, it goes on taking to itself 
from the atmosphere all about whatsoever is needed 
for its growth, and no more. 

The rains may beat upon its tiny head, the sun seem 
to scorch it, or the wind almost to uproot it; and yet 
it goes simply and steadily forward on its business of 
becoming a useful plant. 

Such is the faith of a grain of mustard seed. 

When ours is equal unto it, we likewise shall forge 
steadily forward in Life’s school of events. As moun¬ 
tains appear in our patluvay, we shall not faint or be¬ 
come discouraged; but shall with simple understanding 
say unto them, Be ye removed, and they will fade away 
and disappear, leaving us to go confidently forward on 
the road which leads to freedom. 

The man who has asked for the comfortable home, 
will expect to obtain it and w r ill go about searching 
diligently to discover such a place as seems suited to 
his needs. 

Something within himself will tell him that he has 
been heard and answered, and he will understand that 
it is only a matter of being faithful to his trust, when 
“all things are possible unto you.” 

From some perfectly natural source, the desired home 
will be attracted into sight and to possess himself of 
title to it will be easily within his ability. 

Infinite Spirit does not take our petitions under ad¬ 
visement, deliberating as to whether or not this or that 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


107 


thing for which we ask will be best for us. Nothing 
of the kind. 

It has already given to us, “all things, whatsoever” 
we Ask; and it is only our lack of confidence in His 
Word, which mostly we quite misunderstand, that 
invalidates so much of our asking. 

When we actively accept our part of the contract, 
with the expectation of receiving all that it offers, He 
not only works through us to will and to do His good 
pleasure, but He prospers us after the same fashion 
that He did our ancestor, Solomon; in that, He adds 
to the things for which we ask, all those good things 
and conditions for which He knows we have need, but 
of which need we have not become consciously aware. 

If we find the science of manifesting or demonstrat¬ 
ing the things we desire to be rather difficult, it may 
prove wonderfully enlightening if we go carefully 
through the commandments, upon which is based the 
whole Law, and note how many—or it may be how few 
—of these commandments we are regarding with proper 
respect and confidence. 

We bespeak our own failure in obtaining the Divine 
recognition we seek, when we ask the Infinite to correct 
our errors and shortcomings, while we make no effort to 
stop making them. 

It is our business to both correct those we have made, 
and to stop making them; and in no better way can we 
use the wisdom and knowledge which is at our com¬ 
mand, than by intelligently applying it to the solution 
of these every day problems. 

The unreal, or undesirable, things and conditions will 





108 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


very likely continue to seem real to us, so long as we 
relate ourselves to them, and affirm or argue in their 
favor. We can hang on to rheumatism, neuralgia, ap¬ 
pendicitis, any or all of these medically manufactured 
goods, so long as we choose, and they will doubtless be 
quite content to remain with us. 

The truth cannot make us free, until we are ready 
to accept freedom upon its terms. We must first 
become sufficiently enthusiastic about this important 
matter to discover for ourselves what is the truth, 
and until we reach that stage of inquiry we shall very 
likely remain about where we are, since it will not 
promote us against our will. 

Having created us in His own image, and after His 
likeness, and having given to us dominion over every 
living thing that moveth upon the earth, in exchange 
for our confidence, or faith, why are we not in 
possession of our birthright ? 

Is it not largely because we have chosen, and are 
still choosing, to exchange this birthright for a mess 
of pottage—of one kind or another—in order that we 
may pursue our daily living in such a manner as best 
suits our own convenience, regardless of whether or not 
it measures up to the requirements of the Law? 

Some of us seem to have quite missed the generous 
provisions made for us by our Father, and to have de¬ 
cided that unless we are to spend our last days in the 
poor house it is “up to us” to “get a hustle on,” and 
get a little money into the bank for a “rainy day” 
before it is too late. 

This “rainy day” business is one of the old ancestral 
lies that has come down to us across the ages, adver- 




WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


109 


tised by many as the most important matter to be 
established in the education of the young. 

To the man or woman who really believes that God 
is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently 
seek Him, there will come no “rainy day.” 

Let us fix that in mind, and then so live that our 
associates will be convinced that we know in Whom we 
believe; and that we are persuaded that He is both will¬ 
ing and able, to do for us, all that He has promised 
to do, when w r e have opened the way for such doing. 

Infinite Spirit has not misused any of Its children; 
nor will It ever do so. But so long as we complain of 
the conditions in which we are living, begging God to 
change them, while we do very little to bring about 
such change, we are seeming to suggest that He has 
not given to us a square deal, and that He should 
therefore regulate His errors. 

To do as did Solomon, will net us a far more satis¬ 
fying return: “And now O Lord, Give to me, Thy 
servant, an understanding heart, that I may discern 
between good and bad.” 

Just as that speech pleased the Lord when it came 
from Solomon, so will it please Him in coming from 
us; and we shall receive not only the Understanding 
we seek, but such riches and honor and long life, as 
is the natural inheritance of each one of Father’s 
children. 



Chapter VIII 


AN UNDERSTANDING HEART 

T HAT Infinite Spirit cannot make us ill today and 
well tomorrow, is proven by the fact that it is 
the same, yesterday, today and forever. Good and 
only good. So that, anything appearing in our lives 
which seems other than good, does not come from our 
Father. 

It is the mistake of theology that our good God 
would ever willingly, for all time, reward one of His 
children, while forever punishing another. 

Such teaching is as far as possible from that new 
commandment offered by Christ: “That ye love one 
another. As I have loved you, that ye love one an¬ 
other.” This applies to one of His children quite as 
much as to another. 

Perhaps one of the reasons for failure in demonstrat¬ 
ing the things we desire, is that we are satisfied to 
accept great adulteration of our Father’s simple 
teaching. 

Instead of going to the fountain head, as did the 
disciples, with their “Lord, teach us to pray,” we seek 
this knowledge in any and every direction possible, be¬ 
fore applying to Infinite Spirit; seeming to believe that 
some new and more approved manner of obtaining 

whatsoever we will may have been discovered. 

110 


WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


111 


As an answer to the above question, Christ recited 
without any preliminaries or explanation, what we call 
the “Lord’s Prayer,” telling them at the close that 
every one that asked with confidence should have that 
for which He asked. 

This model prayer, by which we may always com¬ 
municate with the Infinite, has probably been familiar 
to us from childhood, and yet we may have gotten few 
results from its use. 

Not infrequently we hear people declare, “I have 
prayed and prayed over this matter, but nothing seems 
to come of my prayers.” 

What is the explanation? 

It may be the racial idea, which is an outgrowdh of 
theological custom, that much persuasive supplication 
is necessary, when placing our needs before the Great 
Source of supply, and asking Its intervention in our 
affairs. 

So prominent and pronounced has been and is the 
habit of “much speaking,” with those supposed, from 
a theological standpoint, to be w T ell equipped in these 
matters, that this model prayer has been made to seem 
inadequate for our purpose. 

Indeed, it has become only a sort of finale to the 
lengthy and miscellaneous prayers' we so frequently 
hear, which sound more or less like a carefully con¬ 
structed essay on current events, save that they are 
filled with suggestions as to how all differences may 
be satisfactorily adjusted, in accord with the seemingly 
wide-spread knowledge of the petitioner. 

Why do we not take God at His word, and ask for 
the things and conditions we are ready to use, in the 



112 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


spirit He tells us to ask? Expecting that if we are 
living in accord with His Law of kigh.t, we shall be 
heard and answered? Indeed, that we are answered. 
That is the promise. 

Any of us may profit by Solomon’s experience, if we 
will. Our Father is no respector of persons, and He 
will do for you exactly as much as He did for Solomon, 
when your faith is equal to so believing. 

It is not things , and then more things f that we all 
so greatly need. 

It is the ability to accept knowledge, as knowledge, 
and get from it, through the inspiration of the Al¬ 
mighty, the idea for which we are ready and perhaps 
unconsciously waiting. 

More than anything else, we need the inner con- 
ciousness or understanding, which will teach us to judge 
rightly in the solution of Life’s problems. An un¬ 
derstanding which will enable us to correctly interpret 
our Father’s will, and to seek out our inheritance 
under it. 

Let us stop consuming time and energy in beseech¬ 
ing our Father to send us health, happiness and pros¬ 
perity, and ask Him to give to us an understanding 
heart, that we may be able to feel that the afore¬ 
said conditions are ours now, and that it is only our 
lack of understanding that prevents their becoming 
visible in us and our affairs constantly. 

An active or living faith in God’s word will bring 
to us all the good things and conditions for living that 
such faith brought to Solomon. It will help us to get 
what will many times appear to us as remarkable 
results. 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


113 


Things and conditions which have seemed difficult to 
manifest are attracted into sight as naturally as the 
sun and air, when we really understand and accept the 
reae Power which is expressed as Universal Law. 

Infinite Mind cannot, of course, re-arrange Its Law 
to accommodate us individually. 

Neither will any amount of begging or beseeching 
on our part bring about such a result, or alter in the 
slightest degree, Its Truth. 

We can obtain our inheritance of all things, what¬ 
soever we desire, by mentally accepting it, and expect¬ 
ing these things to materialize as fast as we are ready 
to use them. 

The thing of greatest value in the world today is 
faith in God. 

When we realize that, and determine to have it, pure 
and unadulterated, we shall likewise have everything the 
heart desires; while we shall discover that daily com¬ 
munion with our Father in relation to Life’s problems, 
has become a simple and easily accomplished fact. 

We do not need to struggle and strive with Universal 
Mind, in order to convince it of our needs, or that the 
thing we desire is right and reasonable. 

Our Father does not tell us that we shall ask always 
for the so-called reasonable things. 

Rather, He tells us we may ask whatsoever we will 
and if our faith in Him is sufficient, the thing shall 
be done for us. 

Perhaps the so-called New Thought makes a mis¬ 
take in putting too much stress on what it terms 
“Going into the Silence.” 

Going into the Silence means precisely what Christ 



114 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


meant when He preached His wonderful Sermon on the 
Mount: 

“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, 
and when thou hast shut the door, pray to thy Father 
which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in 
secret, shall reward thee openly.” 

We have been making much too hard work of “Going 
into the Silence.” 

So hard, in fact, that many times we have never 
gotten any farther than to strain and worry about 
how to be QUIET. 

Going to our Father with our needs and ambitions 
should be the most natural and delightful matter pos¬ 
sible. Turning the mind within, and realizing that 
even as we speak, or pray, we are heard and answered. 

Indeed, the promise is even better than this; “be¬ 
fore they call, I will answer.” “He knoweth that ye 
have need of all these things.” 

Simple compliance with, or reliance upon, His Law, 
acts as a magnet to attract into visibility in our lives 
whatsoever desired good we seek. 

We do not find in the record of Christ’s ministry here 
upon the earth that He taught that it was necessary 
that our supplications be either lengthy or persuasive. 

When He was performing His wonderful so-called 
miracles, He used no “vain repetitions,” as He said the 
heathen did, with the hope that they might be heard for 
their “much speaking.” 

On the contrary, all His asking was brief and con¬ 
cise; and to those coming to Him for favors, Fie sug¬ 
gested a like method, telling them it was not their 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


115 


words, but their works —their simple faith, that 
would make them whole. 

Let us pause for a moment, and see the simplicity 
with which he goes about His Father’s business: 

Here is a man approaching who is most miserable in 
mind. Leprosy has set him apart from his fellows, 
and it is easy to see how unhappy must be his life, as 
well as how anxiously he is coming to the Master to be 
made every whit whole. 

Do we find him sitting down with closed eyes and 
strained features, trying to get into the “Silence,” in 
order that he may make known his longing for health? 

Oh, no, nothing of the kind. We find him worship¬ 
ping Christ, and saying, “Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst 
make me clean.” 

4 

And how easily this prayer was heard and answered. 

“And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, say¬ 
ing, I will. Be thou clean. And immediately his 
leprosy was cleansed.” 

Jesus went on His way to Capernaum, where a cen¬ 
turion came to Him, saying, “Lord, my servant lieth 
at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.” 

Without waiting for anything further on the part 
of the man, Christ said: 

“I will come and heal him.” 

Feeling that it was improper for him to ask Christ 
to come to his house, the centurion said: 

“Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst come 
under my roof; but speak the word, only, and my 
servant shall be healed.” 

Christ, knowing the thoughts of his heart, just as 




116 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


He knows our thoughts, said to the people that were 
following Him: 

“Verily, I say unto you, I have not found so great 
faith; no, not in Israel.” 

To the centurion He said: “Go thy way, and as 
thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee.” 

And the servant was healed in the self same hour. 

Arriving at Peter’s house, where Christ was perhaps 
intending to make a little visit on Peter, it was found 
that Peter’s mother-in-law was sick with a fever, and 
unable to leave her bed. 

It is fair to suppose they w r ere concerned. Let us 
see what they did upon learning that so important a 
guest had arrived. 

Was there a long season of supplication that God 
would help the sick woman; or was there any time set 
aside for “Going into the Silence,” and thus taking 
the matter up with All Knowledge? 

Matthew fails to mention it, if there was. He tells 
the story as simply as this: 

“And He (Christ) touched her hand, and the fever 
left her, and she arose and ministered unto them.” 

“And when the even was come, they brought unto 
Him many that were possessed with devils; and He 
cast out the spirits with His word, and healed all 
that were sick.” 

Then He went back to Nazareth, “And, behold, they 
brought to Him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: 

“And Jesus, seeing their faith, said unto the sick of 
the palsy, Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven 
thee. Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine 
house,” 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


117 


Let us note that the sick man did not stop to argue 
as to his ability to walk, on the ground that he had 
been paralyzed a long time and that it would be im¬ 
possible for him to stand on his feet. 

He did nothing of the kind. 

His faith was sufficient for him. 

He believed in the process of healing he was seek¬ 
ing, and he “Arose, and departed to his house.” 

Then there came a “certain ruler and worshipped 
Him, saying, My daughter is even now dead; but come 
and lay Thy hand upon her, and she shall live.” 

Christ waited for no further argument or beseech¬ 
ing. He arose and made His way toward the man’s 
house. 

A woman, who had been for twelve years afflicted 
with a supposedly incurable disease, saw Him as He 
paused, and hurried through the crowd that she might 
get sufficiently near to “touch the hem of His garment,” 
believing if she could merely do that she would be 
healed. 

Jesus knew even the thought that was in her heart, 
and turning around said to her: “Daughter, be of 
good comfort; thy Faith hath made thee whole.” 

The woman was healed from that moment, and Christ 
went on His way to the house where the ruler’s daughter 
was dead. 

Here, again, His business was soon accomplished in 
the most natural and quiet manner possible. 

First, He stilled the noise that was going on; sent 
the people out of the room, and then, taking the young 
woman by the hand said: 

“Give place; for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth,” 



118 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


and she immediately arose, quite restored to herself. 

As He was about to depart, two blind men followed 
Him, saying: “Thou son of David, have mercy on 
us.” 

Christ’s only requirement of them was that they have 

FAITH. 

“Believe ye that I am able to do this?” He ashed. 

They replied “Yea, Lord,” when He touched 
their eyes, saying, “According to your faith, be it 
unto you.” 

And their eyes were opened and they went on their 
way rejoicing and giving thanks. 

“Christ went about all the cities and villages, teach¬ 
ing in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of 
the Kingdom, healing every sickness and every disease 
among the people. 

And when He saw the great multitude of people 
that followed after Him wherever He went, He said 
to His disciples: 

“The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are 
few. Pray ye, therefore, the Lord of the harvest, that 
He will send forth laborers into His vineyard.” 

We need to read these anecdotes of Christ’s manner 
of healing so frequently that we shall catch the sim¬ 
plicity of asking and receiving; for until our under¬ 
standing assures us that accomplishment is not a mat¬ 
ter of words, or of any form of ceremonial, much of 
our asking will be amiss, and will profit us little. 

So called spiritual understanding means that we are 
really conscious that He is, and that He lives within 
each one of His children. 

It is that inner Knowledge or intuition which as- 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


119 


sures us that few words are necessary, since He knows 
that we “have need of all these things”; and before 
we become aware of our need, he pushes the desire into 
our consciousness, assuring us that we can have not 
only the things desired, but “Exceeding, abundantly 
more than we can even think,” if our faith is equal 
to the acceptance of so much of His good. 

We understand, and feel within ourselves, that 
all good is ours, and the how, when or wherefore of 
the establishment of our decrees becomes of small sig¬ 
nificance. We know in Whom we Believe, and we are 

SATISFIED. 

MereW saying we understand, or that w T e have con¬ 
fidence in the word of the Infinite, will profit us noth¬ 
ing. Let us remember that. 

The Great All Mind knows when we trust It, and 
when we are attempting to have It trust us , and it is 
now, as it was in the time of Christ, “Thy Faith” that 
makes us whole. And that Faith must be pure, simple 
and unadulterated with hopes and fears. 

With such faith, may we create and attract into 
sight in our lives whatsoever, we need for large and 
worth while living in our Father’s vineyard. 

The Faith that comes of knowing the Infinite, as the 
source and giver of every‘good and perfect gift, and 
confidently acting upon that knowledge, is what Sol¬ 
omon termed an “Understanding heart.” 

It is that inner Knowledge which is really the Mind 
of God, the all good, operating within- each one of 
His children, to will and to do His good pleasure. 

With a recognition of this Knowledge, we are pre¬ 
pared to meet every condition of life with satisfaction 




120 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


and that is precisely the ability our Father intended 
and desires that we shall enjoy. 

Universal Consciousness is equal to any and every 
emergency, it matters not how minute or stupendous 
the appearances. If, however, we attempt to accom¬ 
modate it to personal ideas of procedure, we tempo¬ 
rarily cut off our supply from this wonderful source 
of achievement. 

Not that we are ever really separated from all 
Power. 

We could not be and go on living. 

But we have separated ourselves from that inner 
knowledge which is the “substance of things hoped 
for,” or the “evidence of things unseen.” 

We have, as it were, shut off our creative power, 
and until we determine that despite all things else, we 
will connect up with that all supply, much of our ef¬ 
fort will be fruitless, or of small account; when we 
might just as easily be reaping the splendid harvest He 
has prepared for all who believe in Him. 

We may be busy, perhaps fairly well content, but 
it is as though we were travelling on a wrong road. 
We are all the while getting farther away from the 
goal our heart longs to reach. 

Why waste time and energy lamenting over our in¬ 
ability to make the most of life and living, when we 
might just as naturally and easily be “moving moun¬ 
tains,” and doing such other things as Christ tells us 
we may do, if we will believe in him? 

It is not a knowledge of His truth that makes of 
life so hard a school for many of us. Rather it is a 
lack of knowledge of that teaching. 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


121 


Let us begin today reading the four Gospels with 
care and understanding, and see if we are not satisfied 
that that is correct. 

We do not need to fortify ourselves against the time 
our God will forget our needs. Neither do we need to 
employ so much of time and thought in economizing 
that we will have little real energy left with which to 
appreciate and enjoy the good things He prepares for 
us from day to day. 

When we do this, we are saying to Him, as did that 
servant of old, to whom had been given one talent: 
“Thou art a hard master,” and I’m afraid to take any 
chances with you as a backer. 

Until we live freely and confidently, we are really 
not trusting God and fearing nothing, as He tells us 
to do. But rather, we are pinning our faith to the 
little we are able to “hide aw r ay in a napkin”—the sav¬ 
ings bank many times taking place of the napkin. 

It is possible to become a slave to good habits, just 
as much as to so-called bad habits; and when we do 
this, the habit loses much of its good for us, since it 
robs us of our freedom—the special gift of our 
Father. 

We cannot have spiritual freedom, and material 
slavery. Neither can we have material freedom, and 
physical slavery. 

When we arrive at the freedom which is ours this 
moment, we shall be mentally, physically and mate¬ 
rially free. 

We are never to be prodigal or wasteful of the sub¬ 
stance with which our Father has provided us. 

Instead, let us note that His example teaches that 




122 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


we are to on all occasions “gather up the fragments, 
that nothing be lost,” or wasted. 

It is the wasting habit which causes much of the pov¬ 
erty we see about us. 

Y r et, perhaps as many people fail and come short 
of the mark because of trying to “get something for 
nothing,” through Spirit’s intervention as from any 
other cause. 

It is quite as difficult for a so-called “tight-wad” to 
attain spiritual, mental and material freedom as for 
“a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven.” 

“Freely ye have received; freely give,” He advises. 
And again, “Give, and it shall be given unto you, good 
measure, pressed down, shaken together and running 
over.” 

This is a portion of Universal Law, and if we are 
obeying all the remainder of that Law, and neglecting 
to obey this ruling as to giving, we are failing in at 
least that one point, and it will hold us guilty of all. 

We cannot successfully turn that ruling around and 
receive first, giving afterward. The turning around 
will in every instance invalidate it. 

If we are not demonstrating prosperity, and many 
people seem to find that more difficult to demonstrate 
than other conditions, it is not at all improbable that 
we alone hold the key to the solution of the problem. 

“There is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the 
Almighty giveth him understanding.” 

If we will learn to listen for this inspiration, and 
be quick to catch and obey It, it will lead us in green 
pastures and beside still waters. 

We are living channels, through which God has 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


123 


chosen to express His Power; thus making of us indi¬ 
vidual portions of His allness, through which He con¬ 
stantly applies His Divine Law. 

Believing this, we know that health, happiness and 
prosperity must express in and through us con¬ 
stantly ; not only today, but ale the days of our lives. 

That anything undesirable which seems apparent in 
us or our affairs, is but a shadow cast by a lack of 
understanding, which will immediately be overcome and 
cast out when we turn upon the mind the light of His 

TRUTH. 

Intellectuality may be purchased at a price. Not so, 
inner understanding. 

If w T e would have it, we must seek it with the whole 
heart. 

It was Simon who, in the long ago, attempted to 
purchase it; and we hear Peter saying to him, “Thy 
money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that 
the gift of God may be purchased with money. 

“Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter, for 
thy heart is not right in the sight of God.” 

“Understanding,” said Emerson, “comes as insight; 
as serenity and grandeur. When w r e see those whom 
it inhabits, we are apprised of new 7 degrees of greatness. 
From that inspiration, the man comes back w r ith a 
changed tone. He does not talk with men with an 
eye to their opinion; he is plain and true; and is not 
looking for admiration. He has been with God, and 
learned of him.” 

“A good understanding have all they that do His 
commandments.” 



Chapter IX 


HEALTH IS NATURAL 


H EALTH is the normal state in which we should 
all be living. 

It is the state in which we must be living if w r e would 
accomplish the work of Him Who sent us, in such man¬ 
ner as to earn His approval. 

Until we are free from pain, illness, poverty—in 
harmony of every name and nature, we appear to be 
living proofs, either of the failure of the Infinite in Its 
work for us; or of our failure to meet Its demands, 
and so come into rightful possession of the inherit¬ 
ance of all good, willed to each one of His children. 

Again, we must have health, strength, confidence and 
energy, if we are to efficiently take our several places 
in Father’s vineyard. 

Without it, there is something missing in that gen¬ 
eral good fellowship, which enables us to daily meet 
our associates with a smile and an unspoken assurance 
of friendly helpfulness. 

It is difficult to complete the natural program of 
living, day after day, in such a way as to merit favor¬ 
able attention, if the physical house is more or less in 
a state of dis-order and inharmony. 

Neither is such a condition a compliment to the 

handiwork of the Giver of “Every good and perfect 

124 


WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


125 


gift”; and a part of our business here is to glorify him 
in our bodies. 

Are we failing in the manifestation of health? 

It is only because we have neglected to take posses¬ 
sion of our birthright, and have by erroneous mental 
processes, related ourselves to unreal things and con¬ 
ditions, which we by no means desire, but which we are 
apparently building up within and about ourselves 
continually, by accepting them and believing them to 
have dominion over us to some extent. 

Until we determine to manifest health, we are both 
depriving ourselves of much of the real joy of living 
and allowing most of the ability, which should be 
profitably invested in our Father’s business, to be 
wasted. 

We may enjoy and possess just as much of the 
good, which Infinite Spirit is, in and about us, as we 
learn to confidently speak into expression in our 
bodies and our affairs. 

By the same Law, let us remember, we can create 
for ourselves just as much of ill by operating the mind 
on that side of the picture. 

Those things and conditions with which we mentally 
relate ourselves, will be established unto us. So that, 
if we desire strong, healthful bodies, these are the 
mental pictures with which we must interest ourselves, 
and upon which it will be profitable to focus the 
creative thought power. 

Wishing for health is not sufficient and will not 
create it. 

We must work for it, both mentally and physically. 

Some of us will say as we read this, “Y es, I am sure 



126 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


that is true in most instances. But I have to be 
careful, or I get ill.” 

When we recognize that this is based upon God’s 
Law of truth, we will not get ill. 

Then shall we express Him Who lives within us as 
our health, our strength, our love, our life, our all 
and every good thing. 

“The tongue of the wise is health,” sang the 
psalmist, evidently realizing the power of the Spoken 
Word, and knowing how much the mind has to do with 
building up or destroying this important element of 
life. 

Dr. Cabot, of Harvard University, has declared that 
every disease known to man begins in the mind. 

Going on he is quite as positive in declaring that 
there is likewise no disease that cannot be cured by 
concentrated right thinking. 

Any person who has given much time to study along 
this line, will heartily subscribe to Dr. Cabot’s 
statement. 

Let us not, however, expect to arrive at the desired 
cure by clinging tenaciously to the belief that we are 
ill, even for the present. 

To affirm in one breath, that we are one with God, 
and in the next declare we are ill, is to deliberately 
push the foundation from the health structure we are 
trying to erect. 

God can not be ill, and if we at all believe our af¬ 
firmation that we are one with him, we know we can 
not be other than “every whit whole.” 

Health is Nature’s first Law. 

Let us learn to believe that. 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


127 


Then if we will decide to obey that Law in spirit and 
in letter, we shall soon be expressing health, regardless 
of what we may be expressing today. 

Should appearances, by which we are bidden not to 
judge, seem to indicate that we are ill, let us refuse 
the suggestion, and hold firmly to believing that we 
are Spirit, and that Spirit can not be ill. 

Almost at once the appearances will begin to fade 
away, overcome and cast out by the health which God 
is, within each one of His children. 

Just as two bodies cannot occupy the same space 
at the same time; neither can a belief in illness, and 
a belief in health, occupy the thought realm at the 
same time. 

And, it is in the thought realm that we are 
continually creating the conditions in which we daily 
live. 

If we hold patterns of strength, health, courage and 
power, steadfastly before the mental camera, it mat¬ 
ters not how we seem to feel at the moment, we shall 
create these conditions for ourselves, and they will 
express as a real part of us, as fast as we have 
sufficient confidence in them to attract them into 
visibility. 

Let us learn to seek the Infinite Spirit, within, 
knowing that He will be found of us. 

If we exercise the same consistence we would do in 
seeking any so-called material commodity, for which 
we had great need, we shall surely find Him, as the 
health of our bodies, and of all our affairs of life. 

Beginning with the simple affirmation, “he is my 
health,” if we are careful in acting out health instead 



128 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


of illness, soon we shall be convinced that He does 
make us whole, bodily, mentally and materially. 

While we acknowledge a lack of physical health and 
energy, we are not living as largely as is the right of 
our Father’s children to live. 

To give to illness, poverty and discouragement do¬ 
minion over us is to admit ourselves failures in a 
greater or lesser degree. 

We are creators, and why do we not determine 
to create such things and conditions as will make us 
real assets to our Father’s kingdom? 

We are constantly sowing thoughts, and as we 
sow, we shall surely reap. Thoughts of health, firmly 
established in the mind, will produce after their kind. 
Thoughts of illness will likewise so produce. So we 
shall need to constantly choose which line of thought 
we will pursue to produce such harvest as we desire. 

Health is not solely a condition of the body. 

God is health; and God is likewise the source of 
every good thing we can desire. If we would have 
health, let us look away from the physical body, to 
the source, from which will come to us “all things, 
whatsoever we can ask or even think,” asking for and 
expecting to receive, the thing or condition we need 
or desire. 

As in the olden time it still is a matter of faith in 
God. When we have that, we know that the healing 
power is within us, and that we are masters of every 
situation entering into our lives. 

Infinite Spirit can, and will, “forgive all our in¬ 
iquities, and heal all our diseases,” when we have that 
simple faith which causes us to turn away from man- 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


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made limitations, as to what we can and can not do, 
to the Great Physician, Whose prescription, regardless 
of how serious the case may seem to be, is, “Go thy 
way, believing, and as thou believest, so it is unto 
thee.” 

He knew, as He walked upon the earth, and the peo¬ 
ple came to Him crying for healing, that if they would 
really believe in god, as the healer of the dis-ease from 
which they longed to be free, that they were healed, 
even as they made the petition. But that if they 
chose to hold on to the old belief in illness, weakness, 
paralysis, pain and sorrow, such were the appearances 
which were bound to reflect in and through them, as 
the result or harvest of such mental sowing. 

Recognizing God as the real and only healing 
power, and placing ourselves unreservedly in His care, 
soon brings to us a recognition of the utter simplicity 
of His service. It is so grandly simple we find it hard 
to accept, until we find ourselves permanently healed 
of all our dis-eases, and sent away every whit whole, 
whereas before we were blind and found it impossible 
to mentally see. 

Let us learn to seek out the tenant in each physical 
house—the real I—that individual portion of Infinite 
Spirit which lives within, and which is the life of 
each one of our Father’s children. 

This is the real man or woman in each individual 
instance, the body being a convenient and comfortable 
physical house, or place of residence. 

So that it is not the body by which we shall “size up” 
our neighbor; but by the Spirit within —an atom of 
the Infinite. 





130 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


Let us remember that, and it will help us many times 
to look away from little personalities which do not 
accord with our personal ideas, and because of which 
we have decided against our brother. 

Each one of us is a branch of the true vine, despite 
the little physical defects that seem to indicate 
otherwise. 

Seeing in our neighbor only the image and likeness 
of God, the apparent imperfections which we have 
hitherto criticized and perhaps disliked, while consider¬ 
ing them a part of the real man, begin to fade away, as 
the perfect child of a perfect Father becomes visible—• 
first, to the inner, and soon to the outer, or physical 
eye. 

Seeing within ourselves the health we desire—be¬ 
cause God is our Health and giving as little heed as pos¬ 
sible to conditions indicated by the physical house, if 
they are unlike the conditions we desire, will very 
shortly change the outer appearances, to the extent 
that they will express the perfection in which we be¬ 
lieve, and the physical house will begin to set itself in 
order, in accord with our directions. 

Joel knew the power of the word, when he taught 
his people to declare in favor of what was desirable, 
and expect the result to be satisfactory. 

“Let the weak say, I am strong,” he declared, know¬ 
ing that if they would believe themselves, they would 
soon become strong. 

Then came Zachariah with his teaching of “He that 
is feeble among them, shall be as the house of David; 
and the house of David shall be as God.” 

To declare that we are healed, when we have asked 





WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


131 


God to heal us, is not falsifying;. Nothing of the 
kind. Rather, it is taking God at his word, and be¬ 
lieving that we have received, the healing for which 
we have asked. 

That is precisely what He tells us to do. 

He does not say that we are to believe that we shall 
he healed, or that we shall have the thing sought, at 
some time in the future, if it is convenient. 

This is what He says: “when ye Ask, believe 
that ye receive, and ye shall have.” 

And again, “And if ye ask anything, believing in 

ME, I WILL DO IT.” 

So that all we have to do, is to look out for the 
asking. 

And that is enough. 

For until we take heed, and see to it even in the least 
particular, that we are asking as He tells us to do, 
we are asking amiss, or out of harmony with the 
Providing Law. 

Accuracy and obedience are two matters we must 
learn to observe with care, if we would master the 
science of manifesting whatsoever thing we desire, as 
we make our way forward on the road to freedom. 

Christ said, “Go, preach the Gospel, heal the sick, 
cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: 
Freely ye have received, freely give.” 

Theology appears to have accepted the first part of 
His direction, and to have quite disregarded the 
remainder. 

Perhaps it is because of this that the “signs,” which 
Christ said should “follow those who believe,” have 



132 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


become much more conspicuous by their absence than 
their presence. 

That one of these “signs” should be the healing of the 
sick, seems to have quite escaped the attention of the 
theologians, to the end that we have practically no 
ministry in this line in the churches. Preachers 
making no effort to obey that portion of Christ’s 
teaching. 

Many of them, indeed, seem to have builded for them¬ 
selves a sort of professional etiquette, which allows the 
minister to attend to “spiritual” ills, while passing 
along to his brother, the physician, such as are afflicted 
with so-called physical ills. 

The attitude is not unlike that of a little girl, whose 
parents are both physicians. Her father is also a 
beautiful singer, and in great demand as a soloist at 
funerals. Her mother is much the more active in the 
practise of medicine. 

A stranger rang the bell and asked for “The 
Doctor.” 

“Which one did you want?” inquired the child. 

“I didn’t know there was but one,” said the caller. 

“Oh, yes,” replied the little girl. “If you’re sick, 
you want mamma; and if you’re dead, you want papa.” 

Likewise theology tells us that if we are spiritually 
ill, it will attend to our needs; but if we are physically 
ill, we need a doctor. 

This does not, however, convince all of us that the 
Great Physician has given up His practice; and those 
of us who go confidently to Him for a perscription, will 
never come away empty handed, or in any way lacking 
the good w r hich is desired. 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


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Would we have health? Let us ask for it, and 
having asked, let us believe that we have it. 

Let us stop doing the things the Universal Law 
forbids, and get in line for Its benefits. 

Let us begin at once thinking, talking and acting 
like the healthy, happy and lovable children of an All 
Wise Father. 

Really believing the word of Almighty God, will 
cast out of our lives every appearance of ill (or evil). 

The change may not be instantaneous, or it may. 

It will depend upon our faith. 

If, in the matter of physical healing, we would ex¬ 
ercise the same patience we do upon entering upon any 
task with which we are more or less unfamiliar, we 
should soon feel within ourselves that we were 
healed, and the outward appearances would cease to 
trouble us in the slightest degree. 

It matters little how seemingly serious the ill. It is 
no more difficult of healing, than is the simplest ailment 
we can mention. 

It is always a matter of simple and honest faith 
in God, with Whom all things are possible—great 
things, quite as much as small. 

“Without Faith, ye are nothing,” we are told. So 
that until we have faith in him, and in His Ability and 
willingness to do all He has agreed to do for us, we are 
not in touch with the only Physician that never fails. 

Surer even than Heaven and earth, are the promises 
of Infinite Spirit. 

He tells us that “Heaven and earth shall pass away; 
but My words shall not pass away.” 

We need to think on these wonderful promises. To 



134 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


accept them for what they are, and what they offer. 

Are we weak, ill, depressed or disheartened? Just 
the time to prove the worth-whileness of taking Our 
Father at His word. 

It will change sorrow to joy, illness to health, and 
discouragement to peace, power and plenty. 

And all these delightful conditions are just as free 
to the least, as to the greatest among us. Our Father 
has no favorites, but suggests that if we w T ould be 
great, we must first of all learn well to serve. 

Some of the old Hindu philosophers tell us that 
“Ignorance of Truth, is the cause of all misery and 
trouble.” 

Our elder Brother has brought us the remedy, in 
His “Ye shall know the truth, and the Truth shall 
make you free.” 

Truth is the light that “lighteth every man that 
cometh into the world.” 

When we earnestly seek the Truth, we shall be done 
walking in the darkness of illness, poverty and distress, 
for he who honestly seeks, shall find the treasure for 
which his heart yearns. 

There is no reality in dis-ease, or in any of the nega¬ 
tive conditions we allow to cause us so much suffering 
and unhappiness; only as we allow these things to take 
control of us, and seem to become our masters. 

If any of us believe otherwise, and are arguing within 
ourselves that if the writer of these words w r ere suffer¬ 
ing as keenly as some men and women are suffering at 
present it would make something of a difference of 
opinion, let us think for a moment of the person whose 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


135 


mind has been temporarily stilled by the use of 
morphine or chloroform. 

Until the mind awakens, all suffering, no matter how 
intense it may have previously appeared, is at an end. 

Fearing or expecting pain and illness is a great 
factor in producing it today, just as it was in the time 
of Job. 

He declared that the things he feared came upon 
him. 

The things we fear, we are creating for ourselves; 
and they must come to us, because we make them ours. 

It is just as easy, and a lot more satisfying, to 
create the good things for which we long; and if we 
create them, they will naturally find their w r ay into our 
lives. 

The Law of attraction is as accurate and unerring 
in its operation, as is the law of gravitation. 

Fear—the things about which we worr}^—is a form 
of faith. 

It is believing in things we do not want, and so 
relating them to ourselves. 

Let us decide to stop all negative thoughts, and 
regardless of how we feel, begin today to look for 
something for which to give thanks, in every matter 
coming to us for consideration. 

Paul’s advice is excellent. Let’s follow it on every 
occasion; and “If there be any virtue, if there be any 
praise, think on these things.” 

A most unprofitable and harmful pastime is that of 
discussing stories of disaster, or any undesirable con¬ 
ditions, even though we keep close to what appear to 



136 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


be the facts in the case. Add to this the likelihood of 
exaggeration, which is so sure to creep in, with a more 
or less active imagination, and we get many unpleasant 
mental pictures, which have small foundation in fact, 
and which only serve to clutter the mental realm. 

Courtesy makes it necessary at times, that we seem 
to listen to such discussions; but even then, if we are 
sufficiently familiar with that great Balm of Gilead— 
the Scripture—we can easily “overcome evil with 
good,” by mentally holding firmly to the truth of our 
Father’s care over us, which never ceases, and by 
remembering that “All’s Well” with His world. 

Holding negative or destructive patterns before the 
mental camera, must cause wrong impressions upon the 
great within, and at some later time these impressions 
will express in and around us. 

Paul, writing to his friends in Rome, gave them this 
splendid bit of advice: “Brethren, be not conformed 
to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing 
of your Mind, that ye may prove what is that good, 
and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” 

If any of us are thinking on illness or trouble of any 
nature, let us prove for ourselves what the re-newing 
of our mental processes will do for us. Let us turn 
mentally about and think 'with eagerness and expect¬ 
ancy on health, happiness and satisfaction; and lo, 
these delightful conditions will come and abide with 
us, for such time as we make them welcome. 

If, in God’s name, you will determine to “arise, and 
take up your bed and walk,” in health, you will soon 
feel within your heart that you are able so to do, 





WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


137 


regardless of what may be your present condition, or 
what any one “guesses” as to your recovery. 

With God, all things are possible. But before we 
shall be healed of all our iniquities, we must honestly 
and earnestly, accept Him as the Great Physician He 
is. 

With Him, there are no incurable conditions. 

With us, there are— if we so believe. 

“Go thy way, believing, and as thou believest, so 
it is unto Thee.” 

Always “up to us.” We may believe in health, and 
so it is unto us. Or, by the same Law, we may believe 
in illness, and illness becomes our portion. 

Let us Accept and expect the riches and honor and 
and long life our Father has prepared for each one of 
His children. If w T e are willing to “walk in His ways, 
and keeping His statutes and Elis commandments.” 

We shall reap a much more profitable harvest by 
preparing to live as largely and selflessly as possible, 
than by wrapping our talents in a napkin and hiding 
them away, until such time as we need to account for 
them to the Master of this wonderful vineyard in which 
we are allowed to live and work. 

Heaven and hell are by no means matters of dying. 

They are matters of living. 

Conditions, if you please, which we individually 
create for ourselves, and which express in our words 
and works. 

We shall hardly live above our highest, or below our 
lowest, thoughts; and we shall go when we die— if we 
die—where we have been while we live. 





138 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


Realizing the truth of this, we need give little 
thought to the matter of future destinations, if we are 
living up to the best that is within our understanding. 

Y r esterday is behind. With it, we have finished. 
With tomorrow we need not deal until it becomes 
today, when the inspiration of the Almighty will teach 
us to fill each hour with constructive work, which shall 
be to His honor and glory, and the world’s great good. 



Chapter X 


ETERNAL LIFE 

I AM the resurrection, and the life : He that 
believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall 
he live: 

And whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall 
never die.” 

This was Christ’s assurance given to Martha, as she 
met him on the way to her home, where her brother 
Lazarus had died. 

Seeing that Martha did not grasp His meaning, 
when, in reply to her information that Lazarus was 
dead, He said, “Thy brother shall rise again.” He 
made the above explanation, after which He inquired, 
“Believest thou this?” 

And then Martha saw her mistake, and said: “Yea, 
Lord. I believe that Thou art the Christ, the Son of 

GOD.” 

At first she had thought He was speaking of a future 
Life, as is evidenced by her reply, “I know that he shall 
rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” 

Perhaps the great majority of us have interpreted 
this promise of eternal life, in the same manner as did 
Martha. Or, again, as a sort of reward of merit, to 
be earned by our living here on this plane. 

How many people do w T e know who will unreservedly 

139 


140 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


subscribe to the above promise, and who honestly ac¬ 
cept and believe it? “Whosoever liveth and 
believeth in me, shall never die.” 

Theology appears to have interpreted it as meaning, 
that if we live in accord and with certain teachings 
here, we may enter into eternal life “over there”; or in 
what it (theology) describes as heaven. 

About this there appears to be little certainty. 
They offer it as something supposedly worth while, 
which is to follow the experience of living upon the 
earth. 

What could be more positive than this life-giving 
promise, which has come down to us through the ages? 
“He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet 
shall he live.” 

Let us learn to take these promises at their face 
value, and enjoy and profit bv all the wealth of good 
they so freely offer to each of us. 

Life is a permanent institution, and by no means a 
temporary one. 

Neither is it a matter of doing the best we can, with 
as little as we can, while we are here, for the purpose 
of cultivating a spirit of resignation. 

Our Father has not sent us here to express what 
is meant by resignation; but to express Life, and to 
express it in such manner as to seem worth while. 

“I am come that they might have Life , and they 
might have it more abundantly.” 

Infinite Spirit has made it possible for us to live 
largely ; as largely in fact as it is possible for us to 
conceive, so that when promotion comes, no matter 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


141 


what its guise, we shall be prepared to acquit ourselves 
with credit, as becomes our royal ancestry. 

Living largely does not mean growing old, feeble, 
decrepid and useless, in order that we may find an 
entrance into Heaven. 

Heaven is in the midst of us, here and now. 

It is a state of mind into which we may daily enter, 
and constantly dwell. 

A state of mind to which we shall do well to ac¬ 
custom ourselves, if we would glorify our Father by 
living the large, selfless and contented lives He has 
made possible for us to do here in His vineyard. 

Thus does living become a joy ; because we go about 
it in accord with the intent of Universal Law, which 
delights to prosper us in all our ways. 

Nothing is more unnecessary than that we wear 
ourselves out in the effort to obtain a living. 

God is our supply, and if we will fearlessly look to 
Him, while investing ourselves and our material means 
in the worth while things He offers, rather than in the 
things which moth and rust corrupt and destroy, He 
will see to it that “All things, whatsoever we desire,” 
or need, finds its way into our lives from some perfectly 
natural source, in ample season for our best service. 

Let us determine in the coming year to so thoroughly 
re-educate the mind that it of itself will in turn 
re-create, and thoroughly rebuild the physical man. 

This is not the difficult task it may at first glance 
appear, for as a man thinketh, so is he sure to 
become. 

Thus if we would re-create our bodies in accord 



142 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


with any particular pattern we may choose, the 
important matter to control let us remember is the 
thought power. 

This will prove the open sesame to whatsoever 
physical body we desire to express, as the abiding 
place of the real I. 

This constant re-construction of the physical body 
—the putting off of the old, and the putting on of the 
new— leads unfailingly to the desirable goal of 
eternal life ; and makes of living and serving here in 
Fathers’ vineyard, one grand and delightful adventure, 
having neither beginning nor end. 

This does not mean that we shall inhabit this 
particular planet forever. 

Perhaps most of us would hardly care so to do. 
Particularly, if the work for which we came were fin¬ 
ished, and there seemed no special need for our further 
service here. While progress indicated that we were 
ready for promotion to a more inspiring class, where 
our talents could be put to much more profitable 
account. 

That there is a better and more dignified manner of 
obtaining our promotion to the upper classes than by 
the usual unwelcome route of illness, suffering, old age 
and physical death, this promise of Christ’s seems to 
plainly indicate; and to the student of the Gospels, 
it seems perfectly natural and patent that any of His 
children who will clothe themselves about with the 
armor of truth, may have the benefits He so freely 
offers. 

Very largely on hearsay evidence, we have accepted 
without impeachment the ancestral idea of physical 




WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


143 


suffering and death. Too often do we find ourselves 
and our fellows planning for it, as future arrangements 
are under discussion. 

When the promise of eternal life is called to our at¬ 
tention, we say, “Oh, yes, I know that, and isn’t it 
beautiful. I’ve always thought that one of His most 
wonderful promises.” 

But that is as far as it goes in the matter of serious 
consideration, in either our present or future plans. 

Yes, beautiful for funeral sermons and similar ora¬ 
tions, where the human heart reaches out with longing 
for encouragement and sustenance; and where for the 
moment the tinsel of the unreal things, over which we 
waste so much precious energy, has lost its attractive 
glitter. But probably only figurative and theoretical, 
and so unsafe as a foundation for our life structure; 
and so few of us make it a part of our working hypoth¬ 
esis, to be daily considered in the solution of Life’s 
problems. 

This promise of eternal life is sufficiently authorita¬ 
tive, that we may confidently expect to live eternally 
on some plane of usefulness. Just where, need not 
today specially interest us, if we are in earnest in seek¬ 
ing to do His will, and thus proving ourselves good and 
profitable servants. 

To accept the promise, just as He uttered it, and 
trust Him to unfailingly point the way, will bring to us 
a measure of contentment and satisfaction that it is 
wholly impossible to obtain, so long as we live at 
variance with His word. 

God’s child man, made in His image and likeness, does 
not need to grow old and wear out. 



144 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


That is a simple anatomical fact. 

Each year the physical body is entirely re-builded; 
this being a large part of the business of the good food 
we consume daily. Combine this food with right 
mental food (right thoughts) constantly, and we shall 
become physically perfect, and may so uninterruptedly 
remain. 

If, however, in the year to come our bodies remain 
practically as they appear today, it will prove for us 
one of two things: Either that we are quite satisfied 
with our “outward appearances,” and wish them to 
remain as they are, and have been in the past; or, that 
our creative thought needs changing. That we 
need to think on the things of “Virtue and good 
report,” constantly, rather than intermittently. 

To grow old is hardly a luxury, and since it is not 
a necessity, why do it? Why not accept the reason¬ 
ableness of the theory of the re-creation of the body, 
and give it an honest and earnest personal try out? 

Clinging to the old racial idea that each year makes 
us—meaning the body—one year older, really gets us 
little in the way of satisfaction. Let’s forget it, and 
determine to have and enjoy eternal youth, as well 
as eternal life. 

A simple illustration of the operation of Nature’s 
re-creative law, may be had by thinking of the care we 
give to our hands. Each week the outer portion of 
the nails on our fingers needs to be filed or clipped off, 
if we would keep them tidy and symmetrical. So that, 
in a comparatively short time, every particle of such 
nail that is today visible will have been removed, in 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


145 


order to give place to the new growth which is 
constantly taking place. 

This we all perfectly understand, and accept as 
truth, in relation to that particular portion of the 
physical self. 

Likewise, it is just as true that every cell in the body 
is in the same natural manner constantly growing; 
and that it must put off the old, in order to make place 
for the new growth, as the new pushes its way into the 
place occupied by the old; this being the only space in 
the physical world (the physical body), that Nature 
prepared for that particular atom, which does its 
important part in bringing to perfection, the whole 
body. 

This constant change which is going on may not be 
as rapid in all portions of the physical man as that of 
the above illustration; but it is quite as steady and 
sure. 

Because of this, the bodies we have today w 7 ill not be 
one year older , when we reach the last day on the 
calendar, only as we believe them so to have aged. 

Mostly, they will be less than one year of age. 

This physical fact offers to us the opportunity to so 
re-create our bodies during the coming year that they 
shall well illustrate the perfection our Father 
intended, as part of our equipment here in His 
vineyard. 

This is one of life’s most important problems; but 
it is one to which we have been given the key. So 
that, if we are in physical dis-order next year, at this 
time, let us not attempt to shift the responsibility for 



146 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


such discomfort on to our ancestors, our environments, 
or our God. 

As we think, so shall we look and appear to our 
associates. 

If our present conditions of living are not such as 
we desire, let us determine to change them. And we 
can certainly do so if we will begin by changing our 
thoughts, in relations to the conditions or appearances 
we desire to heal or cure. 

The real business of overcoming evil w T ith good is a 
much simpler operation than many of us imagine, if 
we are really in earnest, and whole heartedly desire to 
make the change. 

“If ye abide in me, and My words abide in you, you 
may ask what ye will, and it shall be done,” is the open 
road to the green pastures and still waters of “length 
of days.” 

If, however, we are attempting to reach that road 
by some “more modern” or so-called “scientific” 
method, w T e shall probably miss the thoroughfare and 
may go ever so far afield. 

There is “no other name given under Heaven, among 
men,” whereby we are promised, that “He that liveth, 
and believeth in me, shall never die .” 

No combination of mere words can bring to us a 
Realization of eternal life. 

It is with god that ale things are possible. 

And when w r e leave him out, it matters not what other 
influence we put in, we are building on the sands, rather 
than upon the sure foundation of His word. 

With Infinite Spirit there are no incurable cases. 

The physical sufferer may become the perfect image 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


147 


and likeness Divine Love intended, if such sufferer will 
be faithful and true, in obeying the laws of health 
prescribed by our Father. 

Here is a man or woman, who, when ill, sends for 
a physician, and with the greatest precision carries out 
physicians orders and suggestions to the letter. 

Becoming interested in what we may call Divine 
Healing, will he or she be equally punctilious in 
observing and obeying Its Laws ? 

It is unfortunate, but nevertheless true, that many of 
us are indolent to the point of real laziness when it 
comes to honoring a prescription calling solely for 
MENTAL work. 

We accept as reliable, and with very little personal 
scrutiny, a great variety of ideas and suggestions, and 
hope some of them at least will prove a Balm of Gilead 
for the condition of which we would be healed. 

Failing to manifest the healing for which we ask, 
is not the failure of the Great Physician. We have 
erred in our application of the law of health. We 
have failed to comply with the terms of our Father’s 
will ; and until we do so comply, we have not prepared 
to receive our legacy under it. 

“Without faith, it is impossible to please God,” 
let us remember. 

We must inform ourselves as to what is Faith, and 
how to operate it. 

Wrong things, whether in the body or in the material 
world, must be righted before we can honestly expect 
right conditions to prevail. 

It is not the business of the Infinite, to right our 
errors. It is our business to right them. 



148 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


Our troubles have grown out of our wrong thoughts 
and acts. 

Illness is an effect and never a cause. 

We do not need to seek healing for the effect, but 
always for the cause. 

When that Cause is cured, the effect will of itself fade 
away. 

When we prove to Infinite Spirit that we have de¬ 
cided to be “faithful in small things,” as well as in 
large, it will make us rulers over every condition 
surrounding our lives. 

We are our own creators, and we shall re-create and 
re-place every cell in the body during the coming year. 
Perfect cells may be created to replace those which are 
today out of order. 

But this we shall not do by thinking how ill we are, 
or how much harder our lot in life than that of our 
neighbor, who appears to be enjoying the perfection 
of health we crave. 

New and constructive thoughts, in place of the 
old ideas, will create for us, new and desirable things 
and conditions. 

Thoughts of health will create after their kind; and 
health will take the place of incompleteness. 

No formula, or arrangement of words, or other sym¬ 
bols, will act as a fairy wand, to bring to us whatsoever 
we spasmodically think we desire. 

The Open Road to all that we can ask, is really 
that pointed out by the Master two thousand years 
ago: “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God (good)”; 
and until we make it our first business to accept and 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


149 


profit b}^ this advice, we may expect that daily living 
will seem more or less a game of chance. 

Advancement along the road to eternal life, will not 
fail to come to us, when we have made preparation for 

it. ' 

* 

Until then we would not retain it if it came. 

Until we know the truth, and constantly operate 
in accord with it, we shall not remain permanently 
healed of all our iniquities, and made every whit whole. 

Perfection of body will not come and abide with 
us, simply because we lie on our couch, mbelievingly 
reciting, “I am Health.” 

Let us get a change of Thought , and begin earnestly 
saying, “Lord, I believe. Help Thou my unbelief”; 
and then intelligently think out for ourselves what 
constitutes Health; and decide to accept it, and 
nothing less. 

Now we are ready for a declaration of something in 
which we believe, and if we will affirm that healh is 
within us, and that we are part and parcel with it, it 
will begin to express in and through us. 

But let us not stop here. Let us arise and act out 
health, doing it as well as we can at the moment and 
asking Infinite Spirit to constantly enlighten our un¬ 
derstanding, and teach us how to more earnestly 
express the desired good. 

“When ye ask, believe that ye receive, and ye shall 
have,” is Father’s promise. 

Let us accept the knowledge for which we seek as 
ours, and go forward constantly and with perfect 
assurance toward the goal we desire. 



150 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


When we really take Infinite Spirit as our physician, 
and stay by it in thought, word and deed, we are 
healed. And we know it. 

We do not need to ask anybody about it, nor do we 
fear a recurrence of our ills. 

Eternal life is freely offered to each one of us. If, 
however, we make no effort to accept so wonderful a 
gift, it will not be forced upon us. 

Why give further thought to the old age theory, 
when the same amount of mental energy expended upon 
the things of “Virtue and good report,” will create 
for us so much more desirable conditions of living? 

We can daily become more alert and capable. 
Stronger physically and more efficient mentally, until 
we arrive at a grade of satisfaction that today seems 
altogether beyond our reach. 

To accomplish the work of Him Who sent us, in 
such way as to honor and glorify Him, is our real 
business here in His workshop. 

This we cannot do so long as we allow dis-ease to 
sap our energies, and make of us slaves whereas we are 
in truth, masters. 

Yes, this means the one seemingly afflicted with what 
is termed an incurable dis-ease, quite as much as any 
other. 

With Infinite Knowledge, there are no incurable dis¬ 
eases ; and why should we accept as true man’s guess 
as to the dis-order in our lives, rather than Christ’s 
positive promise? 

Of course it is our privilege to do as we desire about 
which to believe. He has made it possible for each 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


151 


of us to “Go thy way, believing, and as thou believest, 
so it is unto thee.” 

Any of us can continue to hang on to our dis-eases, 
if we see fit, and they will not be wrenched away from 
us. 

Years of experience here in His delightful workshop, 
should neither dim the eye, dull the ear, stiffen the 
joints, or cause the physical man to appear to have 
become a “has been.” 

With the body in a constant state of renew r al, it is 
only because we fashion our repairs by an old and de¬ 
fective pattern that we express the same defects, and 
perhaps multiply them, year after year. 

Let us see to it that our mental processes are up- 
to-date, and “in style,” so to speak. 

When we cast off the old last year’s clothes, let us 
see to it that the old last year’s ideas go along with 
them. 

It is even more important to keep the mental ward¬ 
robe fresh and attractive, than that we look steadfastly 
after the personal appearances, selecting fresh bread 
and seasonable apparel. 

Constantly thinking that we shall see and hear less 
next year, because of being a year older, will doubtless 
bring to us the opportunity to say, as did Job, “The 
things that I have feared have come upon me.” 

There is a natural Law, which will allow us to just 
as truthfully say, “The things that I desire, have come 
unto me.” 

The mind will create after whatsoever pattern we 
furnish it. 



152 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


Paul was strong on praise. 

Again and again he encourages his people to 

REJOICE. 

He evidently understood the balm always to be found 
in gratitude. 

Let us try praising that member of the physical 
household that seems a bit weak or faulty. 

It will seldom fail to bring about desired improve¬ 
ment. 

It is our privilege to be as fine looking in our new 
body model as we can expectantly conceive, if we will 
put each member of the body upon its good behavior. 

This, of course, we cannot do by constantly remind¬ 
ing ourselves that we are growing older and that cer¬ 
tain members of our bodily family cannot be expected 
to act as efficiently as in former years. 

Let us remember that our ears, eyes, hands, feet, 
every individual part of the physical household, will 
fill the position we assign to it during the coming 
year; and that each will do, and do well, the work that 
is expected of it. 

Parents not infrequently spoil years of life for a 
child, by declaring in his presence that he is dull in this 
or that direction, and does not grasp ideas as readily as 
his fellows. Hearing it, often, the child accepts it as 
truth, and stagnates under it. 

The same amount of words, if used constructively, 
would cause him to become as mentally alert and 
receptive as any of his associates. 

A year having slipped easily by need not mean that 
we are that much older. 

It really only means that we have been offered three 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


153 


hundred and sixty-five opportunities to do things; and 
three hundred and sixty-four chances to do the last one 
better than the first. 

It is just as possible to grow younger in our physi¬ 
cal appearance, under the new order of thinking, as to 
become older under the old order of expectation; and 
surely the former is vastly more agreeable. 

We do not grow old. We become old through not 
growing. 

The matter of life and death is really in our own 
hands. 

In the years which are before us we may be young 
or old, rich or poor, happy or otherwise, as we will— 
the largest living of which we can conceive, crowned and 
completed by that most wonderful of all gifts, eternal 
life is OURS. 




Chapter XI 


HOW I DEMONSTRATED $40,000 


H AVING with only profit traveled the road I am 
recommending to others, I believe I may claim 
to know whereof I speak; and I am persuaded that 
this road will take any of us to the greatest good 
the heart can earnestly desire. 

We must, however, be diligent, both in seeking the 
way, and then in steadfastly and expectantly walking 
therein. 

The road to freedom is plainly marked by simple 
and reliable guideposts. If we study them with care, 
and direct our daily activities in accord with their 
teaching, we shall begin to get glimpses of that de¬ 
lightfully satisfying goal surprisingly soon, it matters 
little what obstacles today appear to quite completely 
obstruct our progress. 

Universal Law is more than equal to any emergency 
of which the intellect can conceive. 

The fact is, it is so grandly simple, both in its state¬ 
ments and in its operation, that we very largely 
misunderstand It. 

Simply and earnestly accepting all that Universal 
Law offers to us would allow any of us to daily perform 
miracles, which, to the uninitiated, might seem quite as 
supernatural as did the wonderful works performed 
by our elder brother. 


154 


WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


155 


And that He expected such results from us is plainly 
shown in His “The works that I do, ye shall do also; 
and greater works than these.” 

By a careful study of Universal Law, and by such 
application of It, as my interpretation has allowed me 
to make, I have been able to clean up an indebtedness 
of Forty Thousand Dollars; a task I could have 
accomplished in no other way, of which I am aware. 

This I do not mention as an indication that I have 
been peculiarly favored by the Infinite. 

Universal Consciousness has no favorites. 

As It inspires one of Its children, so will It inspire 
all, if they will earnestly seek such inspiration. 

“There is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the 
Almighty giveth him understanding,” is the open 
sesame to “all things, whatsoever ye desire.” 

Being somewhat modest in the matter of discussing 
my personal affairs, suppose I let one of the news¬ 
papers, which became greatly interested in the matter, 
tell the story in its way: 

CLEARS HERSELF OF AN INDEBTEDNESS OF 
$40,000 AND GIVES CREDIT TO PROGRESSIVE 
OR RIGHT THINKING. 

YOU CAN DO ANYTHING BY THOUGHT, SAYS 
ELINOR S. MOODY. SHE ESTABLISHES HOME 
OF RIGHT THINKING OR NEW THOUGHT, IN 
PORTLAND, MAINE. 

THEORIES THAT WORK VERSUS THEORIES THAT 

TALK-IS THE PHILOSOPHY OF A BUSINESS 

WOMAN. 



156 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


Miss Moody, an Active and Substantial 
Business Woman in Portland, for Twenty- 
five years, now at the Head of the Local 
Progressive or New Thought Work there. 

Were you ever under the burden of owing to com¬ 
mercial houses and banks $40,000? 

Have you ever felt the nervous pressure of the smug 
President’s demand, as to “What you were going to 
do about it?” 

Suppose today an earthquake swallowed up $40,000 
for you: $30,000 of which belonged to banking in¬ 
stitutions, represented by those smug Presidents? 

Suppose further, that they came to you insistently 
demanding their money, and you had, as our lamented 
Fra might have put it, “less than a five dollar note in 
your jeans.” 

Would you not like to feel yourself equal to such 
an emergency? 

So altogether equal, in fact, that you could send 
those smug Presidents away, at least fairly well im¬ 
pressed with your ability^ to “hold your breath” until 
such time as you could find a way in which to satisfac¬ 
torily take care of your obligations? 

Miss Elinor S. Moody, of Portland, Maine, has had 
exactly this thrilling experience; and it has earned for 
her the title of “The Woman Who does Things, Rather 
Than to Explain Why She Didn’t.” 

Miss Moody says anybody can “Go and do Like¬ 
wise” ; and should you inquire how T , she might attract 
your attention to her inspiring slogan over her studio 
door, which in large gold letters, reads: 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


157 


YOU CAN DO ANYTHING BY THOUGHT 

Apropos of this particular instance, Miss Moody 
evidently knows whereof she speaks, and relates the fol¬ 
lowing true story of her search for a practical work¬ 
ing hypothesis, which should enable her to make of liv¬ 
ing, a matter of peace, power and plenty, day after 
day; rather than of alternating joy and sorrow, hope 
and fear, which makes of the great adventure we call 
life but a bare existence to so many men and women. 

Miss Moody’s story follows: 

Several years ago, [she began,] in the large met¬ 
ropolitan church which I attended, it was a weekly 
custom of many of the good people to beg of God for 
practically all kinds of benefits, (things and condi¬ 
tions which, I admit, many of them sorely needed) ; 
but apparently most of their prayers remained 
unanswered. 

At least twice each week, the same individuals would 
remind the Infinite, of their steadfast service in His 
Cause—maybe from childhood—as a preliminary, 
seemingly, to calling His attention to the fact that 
their lives had been full of trouble, of various and sun¬ 
dry kinds, during most of that period. 

Always, and with hardly a word of variation, would 
they close their “tale of woe” (for such it really ap¬ 
peared to be), by begging for “grace to bear the bur¬ 
den through the toil and heat of the day, with such 
meekness and fortitude,” as should entitle them to a 
crown, if mayhap it should be God’s pleasure so to 
honor them. 

The theory of “grace” to bear burdens as an at- 




158 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


tractive, or even reasonable proposition, to me made 
very little appeal; and there was small indication that 
it attracted much attention from the Infinite. 

Why these same people did not petition for such 
conditions of living as would effectually overcome and 
cure their troubles for all time, was one of the matters 
I found myself turning over in my mind. 

If they could “On demand,” as it were, obtain “grace 
to bear burdens” it seemed to me just as possible to ob¬ 
tain freedom from those burdens, from the same 
Source, and so be rid of them for all time. 

As I read the Gospel, I believed Christ’s promises, 
in a somewhat desultory way. That is, I accepted 
them after a fashion, and supposed they were all right. 

This, because a part of my up-bringing had been to 
revere the Scripture, and to accept theology as it was 
presented, as a kind of advance knowledge. 

That it applied to the matter of every-day living 
I did not at all understand; nor did I see much in the 
lives of my associates that indicated that they had 
better equipment in this line. 

Taking Christ’s promises at their face value, and 
expecting the results they offered, was an experiment 
I had at this time never thought of making. 

When, however, He had “chosen me, and ordained 
me, that I should go and bring forth fruit,” I began 
to think about these things in a different way, and 
was eager to discover just what was the truth. 

Of the so-called New Thought I then knew very little, 
and so was operating upon the “canned thought” of 
Tom, Dick and Harry, and attempting by its varying 
light to see my way as well as possible along life’s high- 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


159 


way until I might arrive at some goal where at least 
I could be sufficiently relieved of my difficulties that I 
could rest for a time. 

In passing, let me call attention to the danger of 
relying too greatly upon Tom, Dick and Harry’s 
“canned thought.” 

If one is at all analytical, they will soon find them¬ 
selves badly affected with mental indigestion; since 
what Tom is sure is the only road to success, Dick, with 
equal positiveness, will declare to be the road to 
disaster. 

As an instance of this mental variableness: The 
fall that so-called influenza was so prevalent, I met a 
young man on the street one cold, blustering day, and 
he was wearing no hat; his hair being covered with per¬ 
haps half an inch of snow. 

Inquiring if he had lost his hat in the storm, I learned 
that he had ceased wearing a hat, and he added: “I 
never have a cold, or any trouble with my throat any 
more; whereas, before leaving off a hat I was laid up 
much of the time after the cold weather came. 

“If you would be free from colds, and all the trouble 
they cause, keep your head uncovered and open to the 
weather, regardless of whether it rains or shines.” 

I smiled, promised to remember, and walked on, not 
sufficiently convinced by his argument, however, to dis¬ 
card my hat. 

A day or two later I was called to a nearby town 
to attend to some business for an aged deaf and blind 
relative, who lives quite alone in a little farm house. 
Thinking he might be ill with the prevailing dis-order 
I hurried to his home, to find him in perfect health. 



160 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


Wondering if he knew how many of his neighbors 
were ill, and that several had died, (of influenza or 
fear of it), and not wishing to needlessly alarm him, 
I inquired how everybody was in the neighborhood. 

He cheerfully replied: “Everybody’s well, so far 
as I know. I guess the doctors ain’t getting much 
out of it so far this winter.” 

“You’ve been well all the time, haven’t you?” I 
suggested. 

“Oh, yes,” he declared. “I haven’t even had a cold, 
and I’ll tell you how I’ve done it. Whenever I have had 
to go from the kitchen here into the other room, where 
there is no fire, I’ve tied a blanket over my head and 
tucked it securely down around my neck. If you do 
that, you’ll never take cold.” 

At some length he continued to advocate his sure 
solution of the “cold” problem, and as I made my exit 
called after me: 

“Take good care of yourself, Elinor, and be sure to 
tie up your head warm and tight, whenever you have 
to go out where it’s cold.” 

Again I smiled, promised to remember, and walked 
away—not sufficiently convinced, however, to accept 
the “blanket cure.” 

It is by experience that most of us have to learn to 
“loose” our burdens and “let them go.” 

Until we are ready and willing to do this, Universal 
Power can do very little for us, so determined are we 
to hang on mentally, and also by word and deed, to 
the very things and conditions which cause our 
unhappiness and dis-satisfaction. 

Because of a lack of understanding of Father’s 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


161 


truth, at the time of which I write, it surprised me 
somewhat that the oft-repeated prayers of at least some 
of these people, apparently accomplished nothing. I 
wondered that they thought it worth while to continue 
begging and beseeching always for the same things. 

Having thought much on the subject without arriv¬ 
ing at a satisfactory conclusion, I ventured to inquire 
of the preacher of the church if he would enlighten my 
understanding. 

The opportunity seemed to please him much; and 
his first step was to ask how it happened that I was so 
short of faith in God, and all His wonderful promises. 

I tried to explain that I had faith, of a certain kind, 
(it was a very useless kind, I have discovered), but 
that I usually obtained more satisfactory results when 
I exercised this faith on my fellowmen, than when 
hoping to be heard and answered by a practically 
UNKNOWN God. 

This, because upon a few occasions when I had seen 
no way of controlling difficult financial situations, and 
where even Tom, Dick and Harry—that ever ready 
and versatile trio, had admitted that “God only knows,” 
I had asked him to act as my fiscal agent, (being care¬ 
ful to explain to Him, just how He could arrange the 
matter, if He would —you see even then I recognized 
my skill in dealing with difficult conditions), and had 
found Him, as one of my bank associates had predicted, 
“Notoriously slow in honoring my demands.” 

Only mental airplanes were in use in those days, and 
so in one of these the preacher first of all took a jaunty 
little trip, touching both eloquently and dramatically 
upon some of Christ’s positive promises, as he called 




162 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


attention to their soul-satisfying qualities, as he un¬ 
derstood them—finally coming back to earth and my 
inquiry something like this: 

“Sister, you go about things of this sublime and 
beautiful nature too practically: So much so that 
you make them appear common. You seem to be at¬ 
tempting to take this divine and beautiful theory of 
religion, which is real nectar to the soul, and trail it 
in the dust of every day commerce. 

“But that can’t be done,” he fairly shouted. “And 
I’m glad it can’t. It would only commercialize Al¬ 
mighty God, as well as to degrade His representatives, 
if He allowed us to treat Him like a common trades¬ 
man, whose business it might be to “stand and deliver” 
whatsoever we happened to need or desire.” 

In his earnestness the preacher seemed to have quite 
lost sight of the fact that Christ had promised to do 
that, and more. 

The gospel had apparently become to him nothing 
more than the “beautiful theory” to which he frequently 
referred. 

“It’s up to you,” he continued, “to learn resigna¬ 
tion to God’s will, by accepting whatever comes to you 
as from Him, and therefore for your good, of course. 
Sometimes He sends us the things w r e ask. But mostly, 
He sends us w r hat v T e need and deserve, as punishment 
for our misdemeanors. 

“You must remember that it is the office of religion 
to accept meekly w hatsoever He sends; and to seek to 
discover in it the spiritual lesson thereby intended to be 
taught by our Father.” 

I thought he had finished, but no, he evidently 




WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


163 


thought mine a bad case, and so he gathered fresh 
momentum and went on. 

“Theoretically,” said he, “this sublime and beautiful 
(plenty of emphasis on the beautiful) theory of reli¬ 
gion, which we all have the privilege of enjoying, is a 
never-failing balm for every ill.” 

“And it is,” he hurried on to explain, “for every 
spiritual ill. But when you attempt to advantageously 
mix it in the common mire of commerce, the result is 
likely to be quite different. 

“You’ve evidently been attempting to drag these 
precious and soul-satisfying promises into the count¬ 
ing room, and there to have them serve you as a 
support. 

“This being so, I am not surprised, nor am I much 
sorry, if they have caused you some bad jolts. 

“With our religion, as with all else with which we 
deal, we must learn to use common sense, and not ex¬ 
pect Divine Providence to act for us, in the capacity 
of the United States Mint.” 

I had had no such conscious expectation, but since 
he appeared to think his the last word on the subject, 
I pursued the matter no further and went on attending 
church expecting nothing ; and of course receiving no 
more than I expected. 

However, as I appeared to be getting as much as the 
others of the congregation, further inquiry seemed un¬ 
necessary in that quarter; and so I only listened, week 
after week, as the preacher expounded—sometimes 
with a good deal of enthusiasm—his ‘sublime and beau¬ 
tiful theory,’ wondering if he would by any chance 
ever wake up to the truth that he was dealing more or 




164 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


less in what is commonly called “green goods”? A 
theory that talked well but could not be expected to 
work, save spiritually , whatever that might mean, to 
the young person whose first duty, at the time, ap¬ 
peared to be that of earning an honest living. 

In Christ’s positive promises I had lost confidence 
—simply because of a lack of understanding. 

As a groundwork for life’s business, they meant 
practically nothing to me for a time. 

Thus I drifted along, kept afloat by what I later 
recognized as the Divine urge, but making small prog¬ 
ress in God’s great school of experimental knowledge. 

When, however, I had gotten all the scenery properly 
set for the next act, he rang up the curtain on a morn¬ 
ing that even yet stands out vividly among my life’s 
experiences. 

It was the morning following the great San Francisco 
earthquake, by which earthquake I may have been 
“chosen and ordained,” despite the fact that at the 
psychological moment I “fell down” hard, financially, 
and the “fall” cost me forty thousand dollars— 
thirty thousand of which I did not own. 

It sounds tame enough at this distance. But on 
that day it was indeed thrilling, and certain details of 
that “living picture,” will always remain fresh in my 
recollection. 

It seemed that I, Elinor S. Moody, a very ordinary 
and practically unknown young woman, coming to a 
small city from an obscure country town, having re¬ 
tired as usual one prosaic night awoke the following 
morning to find myself famous. And why? 

Because I had “dropped” thirty thousand dollars of 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


165 


borrowed money, and the owners of this money, mostly 
shrewd banking institutions, were a good deal inter¬ 
ested in ascertaining what I was “going to do about 
it?” 

' I was not only equally interested, but desperately 
anxious about the same matter, while in available cash 
with which to open negotiations I had about thirty 
cents. 

That I had an asset vastly more valuable than a few 
ready dollars, I soon discovered, however, for as time 
went on, bringing its extra responsibilities, I began to 
recognize that inspiration, of which Job tells us, and to 
feel, its entire dependability. 

When it became necessary to perform some task 
which seemed impossible of accomplishment, I began 
to search within for direction; soon discovering that 
a way was always suggested to my mind, and such a 
way as would in each case prove ample for my needs. 

That it was “up to me” to stay by my promise to 
return this sum of money, I was well aware; but how 
to do it was the question I was unable to answer. 

But since it was right that it should be done, I 
knew I must and should do it, and that my first busi¬ 
ness was to find the way. 

More instinctively than otherwise I became aware 
gradually, that there was an Invisible power which 
cared whether or not I made of my work in the world 
vineyard a success ; and ere long inspiration assured 
me that when I learned to accurately connect with that 
Power, it would enable me to do each day’s work nat¬ 
urally and well, regardless of what the day’s work might 
consist, or how difficult its tasks might appear. 



166 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


That all things were possible with the Great Over¬ 
ruling Power I believed, and that that power was in¬ 
timately interested in me, and my manner of living, I 
somehow felt assured. 

But somewhere there was a missing link, which it was 
my chiefest business to discover. 

To make this discovery took time, and not a little 
experimentation, for I had not then learned that this 
Power is within ourselves, and is the real I, of each 
one of us. 

As I look back from this distance, however, I can 
recall many remarkable opportunities which came to 
me, by which I was able to become acquainted with the 
Universal Law, and test for myself Its simple reliabil¬ 
ity upon any and every occasion. 

About this time I came upon what I later discovered 
to be the “A. B. C’s” of the so-called New Thought, and 
with this illumination of the truth with which I had 
for years been familiar, I became convinced that even 
the emergencies of Nature could not invalidate Christ’s 
promises; and that therefore, if I could not get to the 
point of really believing those promises, actively, 
that faith would enable me to accomplish all right 
things, whatsoever I might desire to accomplish. 

That it was right to care for one’s honest obliga¬ 
tions, and deal squarely with one’s neighbor, could not 
be denied by any honest conscience; and so my first 
business should be discovering how to connect with the 
Universal Mind, and to do the work with courage and 

CONFIDENCE. 

No, this decision was not reached in a moment, nor 
was it always abided by after it was reached, else I 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 167 


might sooner have arrived at the desired goal. Faith 
is a matter of growth, and growth of any and every 
nature must have its rightful allotment of time. 

Such an array of wonderful teachers and experi¬ 
ences as came to me. One of the first being Elbert 
Hubbard, from whom I got more real inspiration, than 
from all the sermons I had ever heard up to that time, 
I believe. 

Then came Nautilus , Christian Science, Mrs. Militz’ 
splendid interpretations of the Truth, Helen Wilmans 
—and there has never been a more scientific teacher 
than Mrs. Wilmans—and many others, as fast as I 
was ready for their messages. 

That the Law of Attraction was a reality , I was 
soon assured, for it was attracting to me precisely the 
knowledge I was able to intelligently use in the solu¬ 
tion of my great problem. Those people who had 
done, and were successfully doing, just the things I so 
much needed to do. 

And so, little by little, and again in seemingly great 
strides, I mentally progressed, gaining freedom as fast 
as I was able to accept His word, as my real shield 
and buckler. Looking away from the personal, and 
remembering that “It is not I, but the Father within 
me —He doeth the works,” and then listening for 
His inspiration, which should point the way for the 
next step. 

When we really believe that “With God, all things 
are possible,” w T e have overcome failure with a lasting 
SUCCESS. 




Chapter XII 


THE UNFAILING LAW OF ATTRACTION 

L EST I have not made sufficiently plain just how 
I demonstrated, or attracted into sight, sufficient 
money with which to cancel the indebtedness I have 
mentioned, perhaps it will be helpful if I attempt to 
present the matter a bit more in detail, illustrating the 
manner in which I applied, and constantly continue to 
apply, the Universal Law, to whatsoever problem it 
becomes my business to discover a solution. 

This I desire to do, since the only good reason for 
relating this experience publicly, is the hope that it may 
prove helpful to others, who may need a bit of light 
on the solution of a somewhat similar problem. 

The Law of attraction, or of asking and receiv¬ 
ing, is the Law upon which the manifesting of our de¬ 
sires is based. 

Our part is to become thoroughly familiar with this 
Law, and its operation, and to educate ourselves to have 
sufficient faith in it to look for, and honestly expect, 
desired results under it when we have, by earnestly do¬ 
ing all that it requires of us, earned the right to such 
results. 

Elihu tells us, in the book of Job, that “there is a 

spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty 

giveth him understanding.” 

168 


WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


169 


As often as we seek to obtain that understanding, 
expectantly and believingly, listening, as it were, to 
the inner mind or voice, we shall surely receive it. Let 
us, however, take heed that our seeking is rightly done; 
that is, in accord with our Father’s decree in such in¬ 
stances, which is, “When ye ask, believe that ye re¬ 
ceive, and ye shall have.” 

This is a positive promise that never has been, and 
never will be, broken. 

It is hardly necessary to say that to handle an in¬ 
debtedness of $40,000, which is practically unsecured, 
and keep creditors reasonably quiet, is something of 
a task; and there were many days when I ardently 
wished old lady Winslow had lived long enough to have 
invented a kind of soothing syrup that would have ac¬ 
complished this task for me. 

Lacking such potent remedy, I frequently found 
financial navigation pretty strenous work; for while I 
had a large and fairly profitable school and reporting 
business, which had to some extent backed my credit 
in obtaining this sum of money from the banks, its 
property assets were very light and it was incapable of 
doing more than to maintain itself and provide for the 
interest payments on this indebtedness. 

Although at the time I knew nothing of the science 
of so doing, I soon discovered that I had made a grand 
good beginning by “going my way and telling no man” 
of my difficulties. 

Only the brokers and my creditor bankers knew of 
my downfall; and they were equally anxious with me 
that the matter be kept quiet until such time as some 
kind of satisfactory adjustment could be made. 



170 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


For a time I accomplished practically nothing save 
trying experiments, with the hope, in each instance, 
that something worth while would come to me. I had 
apparently no guide or compass, and no active faith 
in the Father within, “which doeth the work.” 

Every book, essay or lesson, bearing on the subject 
of successful accomplishment of which I heard I pro¬ 
cured and read, noriNG —but not trusting,—I had 
found the solution of my problem. 

During much of this time I was studying, with more 
or less earnestness, the Universal Law; endeavoring 
to convince myself if it were really scientific and de¬ 
pendable, when applied to what I had been taught to 
consider material things. Then if I could discover 
what were the conditions under which it unfailingly 
worked, the rest would be easy. 

At times, and this w r as often when I had been par¬ 
ticularly explicit in explaining to All Power just how 
it could accomplish a certain thing for me the Law did 
not seem to work at all, and I would be almost per¬ 
suaded that mine was the one job too big for Universal 
Mind. 

But at these times, as I came to review the matter 
earnestly and honestly, I found the trouble to be al¬ 
ways the same as that pointed out by Christ to His 
disciples, when they likewise had failed in accomplish¬ 
ing their purpose: “Because of your lack of faith.” 

Not infrequently I found myself endeavoring to have 
God Trust me, rather than stepping out on the solid 
rock of faith, and proving to Infinite Spirit that I had 
active confidence in it. 

Many times I found I was merely hoping that the 




WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


171 


Law would not only do its work, in accord with Its 
promises, but would likewise stretch a point and do all 
the disagreeable part of mine. 

Of course this made my progress at times slow and 
uncertain, and so pretty discouraging. But so often 
as there seemed no possible way in which I could meet 
an obligation that really had to be met, and I asked for 
guidance as to how to proceed, expectantly listening 
for an answer, the answer came. 

Next I discovered that when I did precisely as In¬ 
spiration suggested, even though I could see no immedi¬ 
ate relation between such doing and the matter upon 
which I asked light, that my obedience was always 
rewarded by leading me to the solution of my problem. 

Thus I began to arrive at really worth while results, 
not only sufficient for my daily needs, but results came 
with such accuracy and precision that I was convinced 
of the reliability of Infinite supply, as well as of man’s 
ability to unerringly connect with this Supply, when 
he became sufficiently in earnest to determine to be 
absolutely untiring in his effort. 

The following story, and I could relate a hundred 
equally simple if space permitted, illustrates just how 
I have learned to use, and collaborate with, this splen¬ 
did, simple, Universal Law r and Guide in bringing into 
visibility such material supply as is needed in the pur¬ 
suit of my daily business. 

A portion of the old indebtedness, a note for $2,000 
was due, we will say, on December 1st, and it seemed 
quite necessary that it be paid. 

With the purpose of cleaning up this old indebted¬ 
ness as fast as possible, I had been buying and selling 



172 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


real estate in a small way, in conjunction with my other 
business, and had acquired the equity in a small house 
which was leased for $600 a year. 

About six weeks before this $2,000 note was due, I 
offered this house for sale for $6,000, listing it with 
several reliable brokers, and urging each one to make 
every possible effort to find a purchaser before Decem¬ 
ber 1st. 

This was some years ago, and real estate was not 
being sought at that time as has been done during the 
last three or four years. 

Calling on the brokers after waiting a couple of 
weeks, I found them all quite agreed that it would be 
impossible to sell the house for anything like what it 
was worth before the first of the New Year, or perhaps 
later on toward the spring, which w T ould be far too 
late for the purpose I had in mind. 

Ordinarily I should have felt somewhat discouraged; 
but in this instance, I discovered that I was feeling 
quite pleased and satisfied about the matter; and while 
no definite plan had occurred to my mind, Intuition 
seemed to whisper to my inner self that it was all right, 
and that the house would sell in ample time for my 
need. 

Later in the day I talked the matter over with 
Father—the Great all Mind—asking that it direct me 
as to the next step; and knowing that I had been heard 
and answered , let go all thought about the house, and 
gave my attention to my next errand in His vineyard. 

That evening, while glancing over a local paper, my 
eye was attracted to a tiny classified advertisement 
reading something like this: 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 173 


“Wanted: To buy $50,000 worth of local real es¬ 
tate, paying an income of not less than 5 per cent net.” 

Inspiration instantly told me that here was the pur¬ 
chaser of my house. 

I had never seen such an advertisement in our local 
paper before, nor have I since. 

Early the next morning I called upon the advertiser 
and sold the house as quickly and easily as though it 
were the only one in the world, the purchaser agreeing 
to examine the title and make payment as soon as he 
could conveniently get to it. 

Several days elapsed and I heard nothing; but on 
the morning of December 1st, he called upon me and 
paid for the house, completing the transaction in 
ample time, and with ample funds, to cancel the 
$2,000 note which was due upon that day. 

This is precisely the manner in which Universal 
Mind comes to our assistance, when we ask in faith, 
nothing doubting. 

We must, however, learn to do our part, which is 
to be quick and confident in running on Its errands. 

We must also remember that It does not deal in 
dollars and cents, or other so-called material things. 

Universal Mind deals in ideas, always, which ideas 
enter our minds as inspiration, enlightening our under¬ 
standing, and suggesting an opportunity for the 
accomplishment of the desired purpose, regardless of 
how great or small, hopeless or possible, such accom¬ 
plishment may to us appear. 

Upon reading the little advertisement had I argued 
with myself, “Oh, well, that has nothing to do with 
selling my house, since I have placed that matter in 



174 


YOU CAN RECEIVE 


God’s hands, and I have nothing further to do with 
it, until He sends me a customer,” or had I put off 
going to see the advertiser, awaiting a more convenient 
season, the house would not have been sold. 

I should have been unable to pay the note, and then 
might have persuaded myself that God did not an¬ 
swer my asking, and that His positive promises did 
not apply to material things, do you not see? 

Not alone must we have faith in God and His Word, 
but we must upon every occasion where we ask his 
intervention, prove our faith by our works, as well 
as to suggest it in our words. 

Active faith collaborates with Infinite Spirit, 
knowing that the desired good will come to pass at 
the right time. Not alone that, but “Exceeding, 
abundantly more than we have asked, or even 
THOUGHT.” 

But such experiences as the above, no two being 
exactly alike but each sufficient of itself to meet com¬ 
fortably the need of the day, Inspiration led me along, 
never failing in Its assistance when I was ready and 
willing to do my part before attempting to claim my 
inheritance under Father’s will. 

This “doing our part” is the important thing for 
us to understand, and to be precise in doing. 

All Power has made of us free agents to do or not 
to do; to receive or not to receive of Its bounty; and 
because of this, It does not force Its benefits into our 
hands and lives, but rather tells us that “If ye have 
faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye may say to this 
mountain, remove hence to yonder place, and it shall 
remove, rf and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” 



WHATSOEVER YOU DESIRE 


175 


By experiences similar to the above, little by little 
the forty thousand dollar indebtedness was reduced 
until the last thousand dollars was paid. And while 
the task was an arduous one, it was also wonderfully 
enlightening, since it taught me to understand the 
potency of the inner voice, as a less taxing task would 
have failed to do. 

When we really believe that with God “all things 
are possible,” we likewise feel that with us all things 
are also possible, since we are one with all Life and 
Power, just as the river is one with the ocean, and the 
finger is one with the hand; and that we cannot fail, 
without proving our Great source of Life, from 
whence our Supply of all and every good, a failure. 

And so the so-called New Thought reaches its effec¬ 
tiveness by resting upon the same Old Gospel upon 
which my preacher friend of earlier years relied for 
his “sublime and beautiful theory.” 

The real difference being that the New Thought 
teaches simple dependence upon Christ’s promises; it 
expects them to operate with precision, which they 
never fail to do when we first make straight the way. 

We believe that we can have the things and condi¬ 
tions for which we ask, rather than something else 
which the Over-ruling Power might decide we “need 
as a punishment,” because this latter would not be in 
accord with His word, as offered by our elder brother 
in His, “And if ye ask anything, believing in me, 
I will do it.” 


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